From Serbia to Sydney: Sharing Stories and Culture with ACVVS

Help reduce loneliness in your community: 💞

• Share stories, music or a relaxed cup of tea

• Build a one-to-one connection with a woman who has spent her life caring for others

• A warm, patient visitor could become a welcome part of Leila's fortnight

What is ACVVS? 💛

The Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS) connects volunteers with older people who may be socially isolated,

creating regular friendship, companionship and meaningful connection.

St Vincent’s Health is looking for volunteers who share our commitment to compassion, excellence, justice and integrity,

and who want to bring those values to life through genuine connection with older people.

Leila spent much of her life caring for others. She moved from Serbia to Australia to help her daughter raise her children, and family has always been at the heart of her life.

Now living in aged care, Leila is looking for a volunteer who can share time with her and help ease her loneliness.

What do visits look like? 🦋

Some visits may be chatty and full of stories; others may be quieter. What matters most is being present and allowing the connection to develop naturally.

Leila lives in a small, family-run residential aged care home in Ashfield, where personalised care, dignity and a strong sense of community are central to daily life.

Time together might include:

• Enjoying tea and a relaxed conversation

• Talking about family, Serbia and life in Australia

• Listening to music or looking through books and photos

• Simply sitting together and enjoying some company

Would you click with Leila?

You might be a great match if you are warm, patient, reliable and curious about other people's lives. No previous aged-care or volunteering experience is required.

The practical bits:

• You must be 18 years or over.

• A Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check is required and is organised and funded by St Vincent's.

• Visits are approximately one hour, at least once a fortnight, with a minimum of 20 visits over 12 months.

• We are looking for someone who can visit consistently and build an ongoing, respectful connection.

Why your visit would matter:

Regular companionship can bring familiarity, belonging and something positive to look forward to. The aim is not to create the perfect conversation - it is to create a genuine human connection.

Ready to meet Leila? 💜

If you would like to share a little of your time and get to know someone with a rich life story, apply to become Leila's volunteer visitor!

At St Vincent's, we value inclusion and diversity. We are committed to creating an environment that is welcoming, safe, fair and inclusive, and we invite people from all backgrounds to join our caring community.