The Northern Community Rehabilitation Program, Club 84 continued to provide a volunteer program this financial year from July 2019 to February 2020. Due to the COVID-19 situation the program was put on hold from the beginning of March 2020 and continued to stay on hold for the duration of the year 2020. Eighteen volunteers were involved in service delivery, contributing 1,255 hours of their time.

The volunteers involved in the program have continued to provide positive role models for clients of the Club 84 service which is one of the key strategies for having volunteers involved in the program. They are a valued and integral part of the staff team, assisting in the provision of a comprehensive service for people who experience mental illness living in the northern suburbs.

The true highlights of our program this year are evident through the benefits that are expressed by the volunteers. The benefits are highlighted even more so for those who have their own experience of mental illness and commit to volunteering within the program.

Listed below are some of those expressed benefits of volunteering for Club 84:

“Makes me feel better about myself when I feel down”
“It gives me self-satisfaction”
“I am learning to be a leader and role model”
“I enjoy the benefits of socialising with other volunteers”
“I have learnt ways to deal with clients with complex needs”
“ I have improved my communication and people skills”
“I feel a sense of achievement from cooking in the café program and I enjoy learning new cooking skills”
“Volunteering has been one of my highlights for the year”
“Because of the volunteering I would like to work in the community services area and have enrolled at TAFE”
“It makes me feel like I am able to give back to society”
“Coming to my volunteer shifts gives me a purpose to my day”
“I can see that I am helping other clients come out of their shell during groups”
“Knowing I can make a difference to my own life by volunteering and through interacting with the youth clients”

We have celebrated many highlights throughout the year and many low times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of our very sad times was the passing of Theresa Wilson who passed away during the COVID lock down in April 2020. Theresa generously gave 10 years of her time to volunteering at Club 84 and will be missed by us all.

The Club 84 volunteers have pride in their resilience to manage through these difficult times and have hope that soon they can start their journey back to volunteering within our service.

Next: Northern Respite Care

Previous: Modbury Volunteer Services