| Volunteering Has Rewards For All Fae Stacey has had a long-spanned volunteering career at many community organisations and believes that volunteering has changed her life and the life of many others in her care. A mother of 3 grown daughters, Ms Stacey first started volunteering as a way of building her children’s understanding of people with special needs. “Working along side clients of the Endeavour Foundation gave my children an appreciation of the needs of special children, “ said Ms Stacey “To this day, I believe that experience helped encourage them to participate in community minded activities now in their adult lives.” Ms Stacey’s volunteering career has spanned a host of community organisations including the Spastic League Police Youth Club, the Motivated Activity Centre and Parents without Partners (PWP). “I first became involved with PWP in 1989 working with children and parents in the Arts and Crafts Program. Through activities we helped children build their self-esteem and grapple with feelings of blame about their parents breakup, “ said Ms Stacey. “Ironically, in building their self-esteem I found a way of building my own.” “At that stage in my life, volunteering gave me the confidence to go out and form new friends. Now I am older, with all my children grown up and left home, Volunteering has now given me another purpose in life and a greater understanding of people’s needs in the community, “ says Ms Stacey, “I strongly recommend that others try it.” If you would like to get involved with volunteering, contact Volunteering Queensland to find out more on 3002 7600, visit the web site on www.volqld.org.au. To
find out more about Parents Without Partners visit www.qld.pwp.org.au |