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Volunteer Profiles
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Allan: Eleven Years Strong
Eleven years on and Allan is as caring and compassionate as the first day he started with Whittlesea Community Connections back in 2007. Al -as he is affectionately known at WCC- started volunteering on front desk with his wife Carol but was quickly recognised as being more suited to the Emergency Relief Assessor role. Al excelled in this role over the years as he proved to be reliable, caring, compassionate and dedicated to his community. When asked why he has been here so long, Al says he likes observing the clients leave here happier then when they arrive which he gains a great deal of satisfaction as well as the friendly environment at WCC. The highlight over the 11 years for Al was receiving the Peter Cleland Award for Community Service because it is an award recognised only by WCC. In his spare time Al loves to spend time with family and holidaying at their home in Mathoura, NSW. Katie and Emma who work with Al said, Al really is iconic to WCC and it wouldn’t be the same without him – he is so friendly and welcoming to people, enjoys teaching others about the role sharing his wealth of knowledge gained over the years. Al is very committed and compassionate to his role going out of his way to help people in need and understanding the struggle of people, willing to advocate for clients and challenges the status quo. WCC is very fortunate to have such a wonderful volunteer in Al who contributes a great deal to the Whittlesea community. |
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Steven
Steven’s enthusiasm and passion to serve the community is evident in his voice as he relates his story. During this time of need, Steven is out on WCC’s Community Bus three days a week, happily transporting people for essential medical appointments, kidney dialysis and dropping off food parcels. Born in Singapore, Steven’s career started off in the Singapore Air Force, with overseas deployments at various airbases around South-East Asia, including Brisbane, Queensland, where he worked with the Royal Australian Air Force. That experience in Australia set him up for a future to return to the country he had fond memories of and he moved here as a skilled migrant 16 years ago. The Air Force was a good foundation for him to specialise in aviation logistics in Australia. One of his many roles included supporting the Victoria Police Air Wing and Air Ambulance Victoria fleet of helicopters. The critical services provided by these organisations meant he was on call 24/7 should any of these helicopters become grounded and required parts. That is when Steven will swing into action to source and provide the necessary components quickly to keep the helicopters in the air and flying, a role that is both challenging but fulfilling. After many years with the aviation industry, Steven decided to move to a more meaningful cause, an area where his passion lies, and that is community service. Eventually the opportunity came in the form of a community transport volunteer with WCC, fulfilling his desire to serve the community. Steven is also a member of the Neighbourhood Watch Whittlesea. During this time of self-isolation, Steven will look out for his neighbours to make sure they are fine and going for evening walks with one of them regularly. He is an avid gardener and enjoys working on projects around the house. Steven's dedication to his community is unwavering and WCC appreciates the fantastic work he is doing and has done since July last year. |
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Watch the video, to get insight into one of our Community Transport volunteers, Ange, who does a wonderful job helping to transport some of our most disadvantaged members of the community. |