Good Volunteer Opportunities

[kensan]

I do soup kitchen volunteering at a church near my house, it's at Croydon (eastern suburbs). I think if you visit any church they have volunteer programs available.

[kensan]

nice kenoy! how often do you do that ? I admire your volunteering in such a demanding time (i couldn't handle it ATM)

haha thanks!
I do it every tuesday from 5:45 till around 7 or so. It`s only once a week so it doesn`t take up too much time, good to do somehting else rather than just study imo

[funkyducky]

There are various migrant/refugee homework help programs out there. You'd have to look around a bit, but here's an example:
http://www.knox.vic.gov.au/Page/Page.asp?Page_Id=256&h=1

EDIT: There's also http://www.yaim.jesuit.org.au/melbourne.htm (mostly Catholic-affiliated, dunno if it's ok, seeing as you want no vested interest...)

[lexitu]

Thanks for recommending Embrace guys - seems like exactly my thing but they operate in areas that are way out for me unfortunately

Just curious, but is this purely to help out or are you looking to add this to your resume for employment opportunities?

Definitely not purely to help out although that's a major part of the reason - also for personal benefit, and career benefit to a lesser extent. It's mainly about being exposed to something that I don't really do/know, increasing my breadth as a person.

enwiabe did AIME for a while. They seem to be quite a good organisation. You go to disadvantaged schools and basically help out the kids who are struggling. They're usually in need of people. The only downside is that the schools are usually in woop woop

Amnesty International Australia is always sending me emails about volunteer opportunities available. You could sign up to their mailing list.

Ahh, I emailed AIME at the start of the year actually, and they never got back to me! But I'll give that another go methinks Woop woop is probably my biggest concern - I'll be on a tight schedule as it is (plus I'm lazy and don't drive ). I was under the impression that they came nearby, or you went to local schools, or something though :S

On AIA's site right now University stuff seems very admin-y and Melbourne is excluded anyway (mean). I've subscribed to their newsletter though. Thanks

There are various migrant/refugee homework help programs out there. You'd have to look around a bit, but here's an example:
http://www.knox.vic.gov.au/Page/Page.asp?Page_Id=256&h=1

EDIT: There's also http://www.yaim.jesuit.org.au/melbourne.htm (mostly Catholic-affiliated, dunno if it's ok, seeing as you want no vested interest...)

Thanks for your suggestions! You're right on the latter one. The thing is, I've searched pretty exhaustively on some volunteer-specific engines and found many similar opportunities (I think I saw the Knox ones) - the problem is they are very out of the way.

[lexitu]

http://volunteersonline.unimelb.edu.au

While this is basically regurgitating the same results as searches with other engines, I found a place that's a stone's throw away from UoM (Big Brothers Big Sisters - North Melbourne FC). Now to fail the police check and I'm in.

[AnnaT]

I really want to volunteer and I have wanted too for quite sometime but I have never really found any organisation that would take me (being under 18 and all..) - pretty much the only things I could find was volunteering in Op Shops...

Bazza16 how did you get involved in the Craig Family Centre to begin with? Was it through school or by yourself?

[WhoTookMyUsername]

Well it was for community service (compulsory). My friend was doing it there so I joined him (school doesn't find us places as such)

[AnnaT]

hmm okay, thanks . I tried to email them but they didnt answer.. I may just need to call them

[Shenz0r]

Peter Mac is increasingly accepting volunteers from secondary school and tertiary, so you might want to consider it.
It will look really good on your resume and if you're going to interviews for med.

You can watch videos, play games or just talk with cancer patients, and apart from that you might also be helping to run the library service, or to shop for what patients need, and of course pushing the usual trolley of newspapers and sweets around.

[s...]

I love Peter Mac!!
I did work experience there, and it's really interesting in the research labs.

But I didn't know they are acccepting volunteers!

[lexitu]

Just thought I would update people interested about this

I will be doing mentoring for youth that came to Australia as refugees for a small but energetic organisation called C8. We had our first training session today, and now I can't wait to meet my mentee! Listening to some of the speakers today was inspiring already. If anyone is interested about this you can PM me