May is always a highlight in the Volunteer Services calendar, with National Volunteer Week held from 17–23 May this year. We continued the celebrations into the following week with our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on Thursday 28 May at the International Buffet, Highlands Hotel, Craigieburn. It was a wonderful evening, with more than 60 volunteers, partners and LINK team members coming together to celebrate and recognise the incredible contribution our volunteers make to our community.
Our volunteers have continued to play an invaluable role in supporting some of LINK’s major events over the past couple of months. The Client Multicultural Celebration was an amazing success and could not have been achieved without the dedication of our volunteer hosts and drivers, who helped create a welcoming and memorable experience for everyone involved.
Our volunteer community continues to grow, with eight new drivers and five new outing hosts commencing onboarding during this period. We are excited to welcome them to LINK and look forward to supporting them as they begin their volunteering journey and become part of our team.
We also held our second Volunteer Family & Friends – My Aged Care Information Session on 15 May, with excellent feedback from those who attended. These sessions have been a great opportunity to help volunteers and their families better understand the aged care system, how My Aged Care works, and the services available through LINK.
One of the key messages from these sessions is that volunteers who are eligible for CHSP funding, or who already have a My Aged Care number, may be able to access LINK services. As a thank you for being part of the LINK volunteer community, volunteers who meet the eligibility requirements and access LINK services through their My Aged Care funding will have any usual co-payments waived. This is one of the ways we recognise and support the people who give so much of their time to support our clients.
We would also like to acknowledge the patience, flexibility and understanding shown by our volunteer drivers following the recent break-in where all LINK iPads were stolen. While replacement devices were arranged, our drivers adapted to working without their usual in-vehicle technology and continued to provide reliable transport services for our clients. The replacement iPads will be rolled out across vehicles by the end of this week, with new cradles to suit the updated iPad sizes, along with protective cases and screen protectors fitted to all devices.
Thank you to all our volunteers for your ongoing commitment, adaptability and willingness to support our clients and community. Your contribution is what makes LINK such a special organisation, and we look forward to continuing to grow and strengthen our volunteer community in the months ahead.
Thank you to our volunteers for your continued interest in LINK’s planned relocation to Preston. Lease negotiations continue to progress, while detailed planning for the relocation is well underway. We will continue to keep volunteers informed as key milestones are reached and appreciate your ongoing support as we prepare for this important new chapter in LINK’s future.
