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National Volunteer Week 14-20 May 2012
Volunteers - Every One Counts National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia, and provides an opportunity to highlight the role of volunteers in our communities and to say thank you to the more than 6.4 million Australians who volunteer
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|  | | | Celebrating the work of Volunteers and Volunteering!
Ever wondered why you should volunteer?
Here's an insight into and acknowledgement of the work of our dedicated volunteers in the Multicultural Home and Community Care sector.
A Day in the Life of a Dedicated Volunteer!
 Maria Russo has a love for volunteering and over 6 years she has spread her support across National Association for the Families of Italian Immigrants (A.N.F.E.) once a week at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, once a month for World Vision while also serving on the Volunteer Management Committee for Carnivale.
"I volunteer because I love helping people and helping myself - I feel better" she says.
She wears many hats in her volunteer roles. As Transport Assistant for ANFE, she assists people getting on and off buses after which she helps cook a delicious Italian meal at The Junction Community Centre. She then assists by serving coffee, meals and setting tables. She loves helping with activities such as Bingo and cards and even singing and dancing and exercising with the elderly Italians!!
Read More On a typical day, Maria hops on her bus at 8.30am to do the rounds, picking up 10 elderly Italians from various locations in Grange, Findon, Seaton, Largs Bay, Semaphore and Rosewater. By 10.30am they arrive at The Junction Community Centre where Maria helps serve coffee and biscuits, followed by exercises. After a short break it's time for Maria to prepare the midday meal which usually consists of a Pasta, (her favourite is Pasta Fagoli - Pasta with Beans). Then there's Secondi (a main meal of fish or meat and vegetables), followed by desert, coffee and fruit.
"The food is good, very fresh," she says "and the menu changes everyday"
While the elderly play bingo and cards, Maria cleans up the kitchen then lends a hand with drinks, singing, translating or anything else that is needed before it's time for everyone to get back on the bus. "The old people are very fragile and they are on their own," she says, "and I know when they go home, they don't have anyone to go home to. So, I make a joke with them, I sing with them and dance with them to make them happy."
When Maria arrives home at 4.00 pm she feels satisfied, knowing volunteering has made a difference to her life and the lives of others. Mudite Howarth - Reconnecting to my heritage through volunteering  Mudite Howarth was born in 1950 in Australia. Her parents escaped the occupation of Latvia in the 1940s. They had nothing, they had to leave everything and fled at the end of 1944 , arriving in Australia in 1949.
Growing up in the 1950s and 60s in Australia, Mudite didn't want to be different. "Nobody could say my name. As a child, I didn't want to know [about Latvia], I wanted to be Australian." However, when she grew into adulthood, the interest grew. When her parents fled Latvia they left behind friends and family including their parents and siblings, many of whom disappeared under occupied Latvia. Mudite's mother always wished she'd been able to find her mother. After her passing, Mudite found the desire to reconnect with her parent's homeland and her own heritage becoming stronger and stronger. In 2006, Mudite, her sister Maija and their husbands travelled to Latvia in search of her mother's family. What came from this trip were two unexpected outcomes.
Read MoreIn leading up to the trip, Mudite set about reviving her Latvian language skills. She paid a visit to the Baltic Community Homes in which elderly people from the Baltic region commonly move when in need of higher levels of care. She asked if they had anyone who would be willing to have a conversation in Latvian with her. It was through this that she and Olga, a resident at the Home, began their weekly conversations. Equipped with her language skills and a Latvian researcher they had found to assist them in tracing their parent's family, Mudite and her sister set about finding their Grandmother. They traced her to her last known residence but couldn't find anything else.
 Then they thought: What about Dad's family? They knew he had lived on a farm. The researcher quickly located the area where it had been and off they set! As they got deeper and deeper into the Latvian countryside, the roads began to peter out. They came across a dilapidated building with no one around right where the farm house had been. At a nearby farm, a woman pointed them in the direction of a cottage where an elderly woman lived. An old lady came out of her house. "It was Dad's sister and there were lots of tears!" Mudite says, "Immediately she got on the phone to her son and daughter and when her son walked in, my sister and I looked at each other and I said, That's our Dad. The family resemblance was amazing. It was a miracle!"
On her return from Latvia, Mudite maintained her friendship with Olga, taking her shopping and to events at the Latvian Association of S.A. It was at one of these events that someone asked her if she would like to volunteer with the Association. Having retired and re-forged her connection with her heritage, Mudite started her volunteering at the beginning of 2011. "This was fantastic for me because my heritage had become important to me." Mudite spends her volunteering life speaking Latvian to many engaged Latvian elderly, transporting her group of elderly Latvians to the monthly lunch organised by the Latvian Association and taking them on special outings through the Home and Community Care Program managed by the Latvian Association.
"Volunteering at the Latvian Association has opened up a whole new world of learning for me, learning about my Latvian Heritage from truly inspiring people, sharing in their lives and being able to give back a little of what these delightful people are giving me." Useful Links in the Multicultural Sector
Jewish Community Services News  download here
News from the Multicultural Sector
INAUGURAL VOLUNTEER EXPO HOSTED BY THE GREEK ORTHODOX COMMUNITY
A Volunteer Expo and celebration were held at St. Nicholas Community Hall, 71 George Street, Thebarton on Wednesday 11th May 2011, as part of National Volunteer Week.
This is the first year the Community Care Services has organised an event like this. The Expo was from 9am- 1pm. Multicultural Aged Care Organisations were invited to set up and display information on how to attract new volunteers. Volunteering SA, Chinese Welfare Services, A.N.F.E, Filipino HACC and Goodwood Community Services were the participants. The Expo was extensively promoted in the Media.
The Cocktail function was held at 2.00pm. All volunteers received a volunteer badge and chocolates. Amongst the guests and VIP'S were such notables as Michael Atkinson, MP for Croydon, John Trainer, Mayor, of City of West Torrens, Evelyn O'Loughlin Chief Executive Officer, Naomi Offler CALD Volunteers Project Officer, Sylvia Cassoudakis, General Secretary of GOCSA and other members of the Executive Committee of the GOCSA were there.
Maria Foundas was MC and Dimitra Koutsainis her equivalent in Greek. Ms Sylvia Cassoudakis thanked all the volunteers for their dedication, hard work and commitment. Together with Mr Michael Atkinson they presented the Premiers' Certificates to the groups and to Mrs Helen Pokkias for being a volunteer 25 years of service.
The event was enhanced by great music, food and drinks. A big thank you to our sponsors, Square Waterhole Mt.Compass Vineyards, Sanco hampers, OneOnOne nail tuition, Café Buongiorno , Vicki Nesgos fifth Avenue Collection, Yours Truly Chocolates and Kathy's Flower House for donating 10 table arrangements which were sold to raise money for 5 year old cancer patient Chelsea Lethrangomites.
It was a lovely afternoon. Enjoyed by all. THANK YOU ALL for being there and helping out.
... Katerina Giannakis, Community Care Services, Volunteer Support Coordinator
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