Ballarat’s Tom McCarthy named Heart Volunteer Awards Junior winner

Even during last year’s coronavirus lockdowns, this 17-year-old volunteer found a way to keep up his connection with the residents of Ballarat’s Nazareth House.

Year 12 student Tom McCarthy with Ballarat Nazareth house resident Julie Duffy. Picture: Chloe Smith

For 17-year-old Tom McCarthy, volunteering at Ballarat’s Nazareth House aged care home started as a family affair.

Before he was school age, Tom used to tag along with his mum to serve scones at morning tea and play games with the residents, who soon became like family.

As he grew older, so too did his enthusiasm for helping at the house, which became a weekly routine. Today, as a Year 12 student, Tom makes time to visit once a week to chat to residents, help Nazareth House assistant Judi Link run activities, accompany people to Mass – and still hand out scones at morning tea.

When the aged care home was not allowed to have visitors during last year’s coronavirus outbreaks, Tom found another way to keep up his connection with the residents, whose social interactions were limited due to the lockdown.

Tom McCarthy played the trumpet outside Nazareth House to let the residents know he was thinking about them. Picture: Chloe Smith

Tom turned up on Christmas and Anzac Day to play the Last Post on his trumpet outside every door and window, so all the residents could hear.

“The residents loved it,” says Judi, who has known Tom since he was a toddler.

“These residents have all watched him grow up, so he is very special to them. Everybody loves Tom.”

Tom’s volunteer role at Nazareth House is unofficial. He does it because he wants to, and it makes him feel part of their community.

“It is a lot like having a lot of grandparents around there,” he says. “I enjoy it. I do think it is something I’d like to continue throughout my life.”

Tom is an accomplished trumpet player, and sometimes even busks to raise funds for Nazareth House, which is home to about 140 people.

“He is a terrific kid and he means a lot to all of us. It just makes the residents happy to have young people around,” Judi says. “He has such a great rapport with them.”

For his years of dedication to Nazareth House, and wonderful effort to maintain social connections with residents last year when they were isolated, Tom McCarthy is a worthy winner of the Junior Volunteer award.

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