The Gift of Volunteering by Mei-Li Huang The Gowrie WA was established in 1940 and offers a range of services which includes Childcare, Settlement Services, Counselling, Nutrition and other Community Based Programs. My volunteering experience came about with the Gowrie in 2009 when my best friend convinced me to join the Homework Support Program with her. We both have a passion to work with youth from a diverse background and the program offered us just that! In addition it was also a great way for both of us to stay connected and have fun since we were both pretty busy with our lives. My role was to tutor youth from multicultural backgrounds in their homework. Initially I was scared of joining since I was never really good in Maths and Science, but once I got involved I realised these youth needed help in a range of subjects - basically everything. What I discovered and learned through this program was that each individual - regardless of what we think our abilities are - has something worthwhile to offer to the community. The experience has been a gift and a blessing in disguise. I have gained skills in networking, teaching, mentoring and probably countless others. But most importantly, knowing that I can be an inspiration to youth has been an inspiration in itself. Today I am a Case Manager working with youth, and I believe my experiences in the volunteer program have been a huge bridge to my career.
If you love diversity and empowering youth then give this a go!
21