Unsung heroes of our communities

 Volunteer work plays a vital role in fostering community spirit, addressing social needs, and enriching personal lives. By dedicating their time and skills to various causes, volunteers contribute significantly to the well-being of others and the overall health of society. Whether it's helping at a local food bank, mentoring young people, or participating in environmental conservation projects, volunteering offers countless opportunities to make a positive impact and create lasting connections.

This week, I am honouring the incredible work of a few of our community's volunteers and highlighting their contributions.

Jacqueline Plaice - Tenterfield

I have been with Rotary for 16 years. I went to one meeting as thought I could see them and wine and dine, but joined up as they were sociable. I enjoy all the friends I make, meeting new people and ultimately to help in the world and local communities

Challenges are the cost of time and money. Plus managing different personalities and remembering we are all volunteers. I always tell anyone, it's about meeting new people who are there for the same reason.

I believe rotary has high standards of integrity. It definitely opens doors and should not be viewed as business networking in the first instance.

A successful group is one that respects every member's situation regarding spare time and finances. Having social events to enable friendships to form and to remember we are all volunteers and do what we can when we can

Yes I would definitely join Rotary and not The Lions!

Sally Purbrick-Illek - A volunteer with many hats

I have volunteered in my local community for as long as I can remember.

As a kid growing up in the USA, I would rescue abandoned and injured animals, write articles about animal welfare for the local newspaper, and donate my pocket money to our local animal shelter. I founded and was president of “Students for the Environment” in high school. As an adult, I have been active in various organizations to promote a healthy environment and the welfare of domestic and native animals. While in Malaysia, I was an active member of the Malaysian Nature Society, and as an ISKL biology teacher, I encouraged my students to become involved.

After moving to Australia in 2004, I joined Wildcare Australia and worked the hotline, rehabilitated hundreds of injured parrots in my aviary, rescued many native animals, published articles, and created flyers (in English, Mandarin, and Russian) about the importance of looking after our native species and how to live with them, and have facilitated talks and education programs to raise public awareness of Australia’s unique wildlife and its diverse habitat requirements. I also organize a yearly cleanup of my local dog park and neighborhood as part of the “Clean Up Australia Day” in March of every year.

My other passions are training, competing, and volunteering with my dogs. My first dog, Lucy (a German Shepherd cross), was a “Reading Dog” with young people in our local schools. One of my current working border collies, Champ, was bred to work sheep, but since he was diagnosed with hip dysplasia shortly after I adopted him, I knew he needed another job. I felt Champ would also be an excellent “Reading Dog” as he gets along with people of all ages and animals of all kinds. Since retiring from full-time work, Champ and I have volunteered at assisted care facilities and now work with the “Animal Welfare League Queensland Reading Dogs” program and the “Preschoolers Overcoming Phobias” program.

Champ is also an ambassador for the “Australian Veterinary Association’s Pets and People Education Program,” an education initiative that teaches children about responsible pet ownership and animal safety. Several times, he has been featured on local and national television and was a top ten finalist in “Australia’s Top Job with a Job” in 2022 and 2023. I am absolutely chuffed that my amazing working border collies Champ and Pepper were selected as “Everyday Heroes” finalists in “The Dog Down Under” TV series that will air on September 14, 2024. This show will feature Champ and his volunteer work and Pepper for her help tracking down a dog that went missing during a thunderstorm.

I hope those reading this blog will consider volunteering within your community. Research has shown that volunteering offers significant health benefits, especially for older adults, including:

• Improves physical and mental health

• It provides a sense of purpose and teaches valuable skills

• Nurtures new and existing relationships

Get out and volunteer – you won’t regret it!

Allan Barnett - Rotary club of Burleigh Heads

I joined Rotary initially to meet some new people as I'd relocated to the Gold Coast. My Club was very welcoming and soon I became involved in a lot of worthwhile fundraising and community projects. I soon ended up organising fundraising events and it did give me a great sense of satisfaction knowing that these funds would really help someone in need out there in the local community. After a while, I also created a many great friendships from all of this interaction. What you find is there are many others with the same ideals as you and a warming sense of satisfaction comes from helping others with friends by your side. Rotary is a well organised international that makes it easy to do this - not just locally, but internationally as well.

As Muhammad Ali said, 'service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth'

Terri Taylor - OzHarvest

CLASSIC French-trained Chef Terri Taylor was an early adopter of the no waste movement. “One of my first jobs as an apprentice chef was trimming strawberries,” says Terri. “The chef wasn’t happy with me as I had thrown out the equivalent of one punnet of strawberries for every four I had trimmed. It was money thrown in the bin.

“Early lessons like this gave me a no wastage mentality.” Following a successful career as a chef, which included opening and running her own cooking school in the Gold Coast Hinterland, Terri moved to the Gold Coast’s glitter strip and discovered OzHarvest.

Founded by Ronni Kahn AO in 2004 after noticing the huge volume of food going to waste, OzHarvest quickly grew to become Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, with a driving purpose to ‘Nourish our Country’. A dedicated team of nearly 300 staff and more than 3,000 volunteers share Ronni’s devotion for the cause; on a mission to stop food waste, feed people in need, and protect our planet by championing the value of food and driving change at all levels of society.

Best known for its iconic yellow food rescue vans – which save more than 250 tonnes of good food every week from more than 2,600 food donors and deliver it direct to more than 1,500 charities that feed people in need – the company’s values of generosity and

inclusiveness were an instant appeal to Terri, who now runs the OzHarvest Cooking for a Cause program on the Gold Coast.

“OzHarvest was easy for me to identify with – there was perfectly good food going to waste; almost half of the fruit and vegetables grown end up in landfill and one quarter of the world’s water is wasted on food that won’t be eaten. And yet people are going

hungry. “When I closed the cooking school, I had plenty of spare time, so I volunteered straight away.”

Terri, teams get busy in the kitchen over a three- hour period, transforming

rescued food into restaurant quality meals that are then delivered directly to local

disadvantaged communities. “You get to see the results of your efforts straight away.

The food that is rescued and prepared is distributed, and clients are enjoying a nutritious meal straight away,” says Terri.

“The program is tax deductible, fits in with companies’ corporate responsibility requirements, and is fun and educational, with participants receiving some great cooking tips on how to save money and prepare delicious meals. “The revenue from this

program keeps our vans on the road, picking up the produce and delivering it to charities.”

A quick and easy way to use up veggies in your crisper, this is a family dinner

winner!

Prep time – 5 min Cook time – 5 min Serves – 4

NEED

 1 onion, sliced

 2 garlic cloves, sliced

 Greens from your crisper (we used spinach, zucchini, broccoli and silverbeet)

 1 sheet frozen pastry

 Cheese, grated (we used cheddar, but whatever you have in your fridge)

 1 tbsp olive oil

 Salt and pepper to season

HOW

1. Sauté onion over

medium heat until

fragrant.

2. Add sliced garlic and the

thinly sliced stems of any

greens.

3. Once softened, add any

other vegetables and

cook until soft.

4. Season with salt and

pepper.

5. Cool veggie mix, then

pile it in the middle of a

puff pastry sheet, fold

the edges in and top with

grated cheese.

6. Bake at 190°C for 30-35

minutes, until golden.

ENJOY

Volunteers are special people. They dedicate their time, energy, and skills to make a positive difference in the lives of others. I hope you can see the power of human connection and the incredible impact we can have when we work together towards a common goal.

Thank you for reading.