At Doutta Galla Aged Services, we believe in creating vibrant, supportive communities where every individual feels valued, heard and connected.
A vital part of this vision is our Volunteering Program, which invites people from all walks of life to share their time, skills and compassion with our residents.
“I think I felt there was something missing from my life and I wanted to give something back in the community,” says Sarah Littleton, a volunteer at Doutta Galla Footscray. “The most rewarding thing about the experience is knowing that I’m having an impact on someone’s quality of life. I also personally just really enjoy chatting with people from different walks of life as I think we can all learn a lot from each other.”
Volunteers contribute to the ongoing quality of care in countless ways – from sharing conversations over a cup of tea to helping with activities, outings and providing companionship.
“As a volunteer I have taken residents on outings such as to the movies and local shopping centre. Sometimes we even just sit around in the home, laughing and enjoying time together.”
For Sarah, one resident in particular left a deep impression. “Visiting Pam (who recently passed away) will always stay with me. Despite having had a difficult life including being a full time carer for her daughter and single mum, Pam had an incredibly upbeat attitude and hope for her future. She also had a great sense of humour!”
Sarah is also working on a meaningful project at Footscray. “At the moment I’m planning to get landscape photos of the surrounding area taken and then blow these up on canvas size. As many older people suffer memory problems I think local photographs are a great way to remind people of who and where they are and also provide a positive talking point.”
“You will love it! You might be surprised by some of the incredible characters you’ll meet!”
To learn more about volunteering at Doutta Galla, visit www.dgas.org.au or email volunteersadmin@dgas.org.au.