Ann has been volunteering with Weave for about a year and a half, and has tutored 3 students.
Read her short reflection on volunteering with Weave.
For Ann, volunteering is a part of life.
“I’ve always volunteered since I was young,” she says, “it’s just part of what my family does, because my mum volunteers a lot and she would take us along too.”
Ann moved to Australia 11 years ago, and 3 years ago she made the move from Melbourne to Sydney to work in professional services in the data analytics department.
On arriving in Sydney, Ann was eager to continue volunteering.
“I looked online and I found Weave,” she says, “And I looked at the programs the organisation had, and it looked like something I’d really like to support.”
Since then, Ann has been volunteering with Weave for about a year and a half, in which time she’s tutored 3 students.
“It’s been really great so far, I’m working with the kids as well as meeting the other tutors and working with Denise the coordinator. All the kids have just been a joy to work with, they’re all really lovely and they’re all really keen to learn.”
Volunteering is an integral part of Ann’s determination to give back to the community.
“I’m a very career-driven person,” she says, “I can get very caught up in my work. But there is always a voice at the back of my mind reminding me that we only have one life, and finite energy and time, and I want to use some of that to contribute to society where I can.
“Being in professional services can be a like being in a bubble sometimes, with people who are similar to you and it’s always ‘go go go’ on the job.
“But when I come to volunteering, things slow down a bit, I get to think about what’s really important in life. And working with people from different ages and different backgrounds and seeing the impact it is making has been really meaningful to me.”
Ann thinks tutoring kids is a special opportunity. “I do enjoy working with kids a lot. They’re at a stage where they’re very impressionable and it’s a really good opportunity for us to make a difference in their life.”
“Weave has given me the opportunity to use my skills to contribute.
“Everyone I’ve met at Weave has been really friendly, and I can see that everyone’s working towards the same goal to make a positive change in the community and I truly identify with that.”
Ann thinks that the values of volunteering can apply for everyone.
“For me, volunteering is about bringing your unique self to something you’re passionate about, and being able to give back and make a positive change without expecting something in return.”
“Working with the kids, I can see that you do make a difference to every individual’s life,” she says. “And these children are the future of our society and I just know that even giving a child the attention which they might not get elsewhere can make a positive lasting impression on them. So I really do think it’s such a great thing that Weave is doing.
“By being a tutor at Weave, I’m getting to meet these amazing children from different backgrounds, and I’m able to bring my perspective to also help them see something different.”
Weave’s tutoring program is about sparking a change in someone’s life. And it’s not just about individuals. “We can all spark a change,” Ann says. “Everyone has something to bring to the table and everyone is passionate about something.
“I do believe that compassion is who we are as people and everyone has the potential to make a difference.”