Sharyn Heydon, community volunteer
I have been a volunteer
with the Dubbo Neighbourhood Centre for nine years and I’ve been doing Meals on Wheels for eight years.
My main volunteering involves the Dubbo Neighbourhood Centre,
particularly working with the aged and all our programs for Seniors. We organise bus trips for Seniors which are always a highlight and make volunteering worthwhile. We have ‘Social Butterflies’ once a month where a different restaurant is selected to have lunch at. There is always a lot of laughs and chatter at this monthly event. I am also involved with the Dubbo Neighbourhood Centre Community Visitors Scheme (CVS). This involves visiting aged care facilities in Dubbo. I love doing this each week and I have made a lot of special friends through the CVS Program.
It gives me great pleasure to
sit around in a group and talk with our elderly folk. It’s amazing what I learn just by listening to these wonderful people. I also enjoy having a one-on-one friendship with any residents who don’t have family nearby. It gives me great pleasure to be able to make one person smile and laugh who was looking rather sad when I first arrived.
The most rewarding part of my volunteer work is the people I meet, and being
able to make someone’s day a bit better. (I value the) friendships I have made over the years, knowledge gained from talking and listening to people older than myself, and I enjoy adding a bit of joy to someone’s life, and most of all the benefits I gain through having these people in my life.
Have you needed specific training?
Yes. Prevention of Suicide, and Dementia training has given me the ability to be able to relate to people with mental health issues which I never had before. I have also been on the Wambool Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Team committee for seven years now.
With all this volunteer work, do you get any time for yourself? Monday
mornings I have ten other seniors join me at the Ten Pin Bowling Centre, we are known as the DNC Strikers. There’s always lots of laughs, I think sometimes we are noisier than the schools.
Sharyn’s list of awards:
2011 – Finalist, Women Out West Awards
2013 – Dubbo City Community Service Award for services to the community 2015 – NSW Volunteer of the Year – Senior Volunteer of the Year Orana Region
2015 – NSW Volunteer of the Year – Orana Region Volunteer of the Year 2015 – NSW Volunteer of the Year – State Finalist
Interview & photo by Wendy Merrick