Southeast residents celebrate a day of giving for DoSomething Day
FROM small gestures as simple as buying a coffee for a stranger, helping out at a school for the disabled and baking pies for the homeless, good deeds were celebrated for DoSomething Day on Wednesday.
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WITH plenty of bad news around these days, we thought DoSomething Day would be a great opportunity to promote the positive attributes which knit our community together.
Volunteering, putting others first, lending a helping hand to a neighbour, reaching out to a stranger, or a kind word here and a pat on the back there.
All these good deeds were celebrated on DoSomething Day across our region on Wednesday in a unique campaign, backed by your local club and the DoSomething Near You charity.
No matter how big or small, residents in the southeast went out of their way for the first-ever DoSomething Day to buy a coffee for a stranger, give up their seat on the bus, care for an injured animal or mentor young people through sport.
According to research by Dr Lisel O’Dwyer from Flinders University, more than six million Australians give up their time volunteering each year, which is a value of a whopping $290 billion of volunteering for the Australian economy.
Dr O’Dwyer said if you were one of the 6.1 million Australians who volunteered you could feel even better about your contribution knowing you are making the world a better place and also having a pretty big impact on the economy.
● COOGEE WIRES volunteer Kay De Bry has cared for more than 300 animals and is currently helping Lion the possum and Banjo the galah get back on their feet after the storm rocked Sydney two weeks ago. NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) has been rescuing and caring for native animals since 1985.
The organisation’s mission is to actively rehabilitate and preserve Australian wildlife and inspire others to do the same. Ms De Bry, who is retired, said in the three years she had been a WIRED volunteer, she had rescued more than 300 animals. “I just love animals and it’s a way to give back to the community,” she said. “I mostly care for birds and lizards but I wouldn’t look after a snake.” WIRES takes thousands of calls a year to help native animals and it is always in need of more supplies and equipment. Items needed include large cages, towels, flexariums, and possum boxes.
Wildlife Rescue: 1300 094 737.
● EASTERN Suburbs PCYC in partnership with the Sydney Roosters provide mentoring programs for young people in the southeast. The leading youth organisation started the partnership about two years ago to work with young people to build their skills, character, and leadership. “We have a staff member who helps with administration and takes kids fitness, and the volunteers take group fitness for adults including circuit classes, boxes classes, and cycle classes,” club manager Jean Ford said. “To see Kane Evans and Braith Anansta at PCYC and to give up their time for the young people, will put that volunteer quality into them at a young age. “It gives them something to aspire to.” The players will be at the PCYC Community Shield for the Oztag Gala Day to celebrate NAIDOC Week on July 7.
● STACEY Armstrong and James Speer helped put a big smile on Sabrina Orellana’s face with bubbles for our spotlight on the amazing work of volunteers — Do Something Day. They are just two of more than 200 volunteers at the Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick who work to bring light, laughter and support to seriously ill and injured children.
● THOUSAND of lifesavers across the southeast give up their time to save lives on the beach each year. South Maroubra lifesavers Tara Mintoff and Lara Thompson saved two 10 year olds who got caught in a rip on their first shift. Surf Life Saving Clubs has 129 clubs and 76,000 members in NSW, making it one of the largest volunteer movements in Australia. Surf Life Saving offers people young and old, the opportunity to make a difference, make friends and perhaps save a life. The not-for-profit organisation relies on community generosity including donations, fundraising and corporate sponsorship.
● KOOLOORA Community Centre manager Andre Naumovski said the much-loved Malabar centre would not survive without its 80 volunteers. “They help with our senior exercise classes, our playgroup, and even our vacation care in the school holidays,” he said.
Katrina Dominguez, pictured, said she loved putting smiles on the faces of children with her balloonmaking and face painting at the playgroup for children aged 0-5. She said Kooloora was a family not just a centre.
● KINGSFORD Legal Centre, offering free legal advice to low income earners, has a roster of more than 50 volunteer solicitors who assisted about 1500 people last year. John Nash (pictured) is one of the solicitors making a positive impact.
● CELEBRITY chefs Sammy and Bella used one special ingredient as they baked pies for the homeless on DoSomething Day — a giant dollop of kindness. “If a hug was a food, it would taste like a pie,” said Bella as TV’s Jakubiak sisters baked up a storm.
The Clovelly sisters and former My Kitchen Rules winners, aided by former Canterbury Bulldogs greats Steve Mortimer and Terry Lamb, baked 300 savory pies and 300 sausage rolls on Wednesday to be distributed to the Youth Off The Streets charity, as part of Do Something Day — Australia’s biggest celebration of community volunteering and random acts of kindness.
“That’s what is good about Aussies — we’re there to help each other,” said Steve Mortimer.
● RAMSGATE RSL went ‘back to school’ to celebrate DoSomething Day. Club president Sallianne Faulkner and club staff volunteered time at Ramsgate Public School by lending a helping hand in the classroom where teachers are required to manage the learning of up to 30 children. It was just a small way for club staff to assist the teachers who are under resourced. The school supports the club by holding a number of events at the club.
CELEBRATING A DAY OF GIVING
IF SYDNEY had a kindness index, it would have hit new highs last week for the first ever DoSomething Day.
Across the city and the country people paused, took a breath and did something nice for someone else.
From small gestures such as buying a coffee for a stranger, to helping out at a school for the disabled and baking pies for the homeless, the good deeds were countless and they’ve been shared and celebrated on social media in a remarkable groundswell of goodwill.
The day was a huge success with more than 1000 people sharing their day on social media, driving the hashtag #dosomethingday to trend at number one in Sydney and at number two in Australia.
On Instagram, more than 400 people posted their good deeds at #giveyourbest.
DoSomething Day was Australia’s biggest celebration of community volunteering and random acts of kindness, a partnership between News Corp Australia’s community newspapers and the DoSomething charity and Your Local Club.
There were plenty of examples of people throwing themselves into the spirit of the day. Buying coffee for a stranger was a popular choice for many.
Baking tasty treats like pastries, pies and cakes for strangers and workmates was another way people showed they cared.
At the Shangri La Hotel, celebrity pastry chef Anna Polyviou from MasterChef and her co-workers made racks of apple pies to be distributed to the poor.
“I want (my team) to understand it is about giving but you don’t necessarily have to give a product, you can do something nice or compliment people, it’s just really important,” she said.
At St Johns Park Bowling Club fellow chefs Sammy and Bella from My Kitchen Rules also had their aprons on baking a giant pear tart.
“If a hug was a food, it would taste like a pie,” said Bella.
The food from the two venues was delivered to the homeless by Oz Harvest and Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off The Streets.
Other celebrities who backed DoSomething Day included radio stars Fitzy and Wippa and Ten newsreader Sandra Sully who spent the morning volunteering at a Kings Cross women’s refuge.
NewsLocal editor in chief Kathy Lipari said the inaugural day had been a fantastic success.
“It was fabulous to see the way the nation embraced the idea of celebrating the wonderful people who give up their time to volunteer,” she said.
ClubsNSW Acting chief executive Josh Landis said it showcased the many ways people could make a positive difference.
“The valuable contributions made by individuals and local clubs ... is something we can all be proud of,” he said.
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