About Volunteering Unplugged

It's true. Grannies do it. But there's more to volunteering than selling cardigans at the local op-shop. Don't get us wrong, we love grannies, cardies and op-shops. But volunteers come from all ages and backgrounds. And they do the most amazing things. Without them, the world would be very different. In a not-very-good way.

Last time anyone counted, 34% of adult Australians were volunteers. That's either a lot of grannies selling a lot of cardigans, or there’s something more profound happening...

Why is volunteering so popular in Australia? That's an easy one. It's because it's the very definition of win-win.

Win...

Sure, volunteers are almost always helping someone or something. Maybe it's the local community. Maybe it's the environment, sick kids, lost dogs... Maybe it's helping people in disadvantaged communities retain a sense of dignity, the local kinder with their trivia night or a cyclone-ravaged village access clean water...

...Win

So there's that. The whole 'helping out' thing. Makes us feel connected. Makes us feel human. Makes us feel pretty good, truth be told.

But that's not where the "win" ends for volunteers. It's not just about warm-fuzzy-feel-good. There's the skills developed. The networks established. The horizons broadened. And - of course - there's the great stories to tell at dinner parties.

Some people might scowl at the suggestion that volunteering is personally beneficial; it sounds so... selfish. But that's the point. You might make a sacrifice (time, money, effort), but the benefits are always much, much bigger.

What's Volunteering Unplugged about?

What's SEEK doing banging on about volunteering? Aside from being a nice bunch of people, we also see a neat fit. SEEK is about work. Finding it. Loving it. Making it fit.

And, without doubt, volunteering is work. Sometimes it's the hardest work of all. But (without wanting to sound too Greeting Card about it) volunteering is work you will just love.

Really.

So use this site to explore, read, learn, share and – most of all – get inspired.

Tell us what stories you like

We'd love to know which volunteering stories inspired you most – just click the "I like this story" buttons at the end of each story. In June we'll award the volunteer who was voted most popular with a prize – fame, glory and a cash donation to a charity of their choice! Stay tuned...

Already a Volunteer?

We're preaching and you're converted. Skip out of here and share your story about volunteering. Don't gloss it: let us know why you do it, what it's like, and what's involved.

Looking to Volunteer?

If you're interested in volunteering, or just learning more about options, take a look at SEEK Volunteer. There are a whole heap of volunteering opportunities waiting for the right person to match.

      

At SEEK we celebrate organisations that think like us and are committed to building the community through volunteering. Some of the organisations above are Not for Profits organisations dedicated to community work. The others are companies that allow their staff a day or more of annual volunteering leave through Corporate Social Responsibility activities. All have contributed stories to Volunteering Unplugged and we thank them for their support.