More Than a Role | The Legacy of Volunteering
By Zoe Waters, Executive Director, Barwon Health Foundation
National Volunteer Week always offers an opportunity to pause and celebrate the extraordinary people who help shape the experience of healthcare for so many. But this year felt different. This year felt deeply personal.
At last week's Barwon Health Volunteer Breakfast, more than 90 volunteers gathered in the room, a remarkable reflection of the generosity that lives within our community and indeed within our health service. Looking around the room, there were volunteers who had only recently joined the Barwon Health family, beginning their journey and learning the rhythms of their roles. Alongside them sat others who have dedicated many, many years of service; people whose contribution has become woven into the fabric of care delivered across Barwon Health.
The morning also provided an opportunity to celebrate the impact made possible through partnership and community generosity. We were proud to acknowledge the Barwon Health Foundation’s support of the Volunteer Transport Service, with more than $200,000 contributed over the past two years to help ensure patients can access the care they need. A special thank you was also extended to the donors whose support made this contribution possible.
Different stories. Different pathways. Yet all in the room were connected by the same desire: to give their time in service of others.
Healthcare gets measured in statistics and outcomes, but volunteers remind us of what those numbers can never show. It's the smile offered to an anxious patient, the hand on a shoulder, the cup of tea during a difficult day. The quiet conversation that gives someone a moment's relief from fear. Small things, maybe. But not to the person receiving them.
Sitting in that room, I kept thinking about the legacy being created by every individual at the breakfast, the legacy left through countless patient interactions. Interactions that may seem small at the time yet remain with people long after they leave the hospital doors.
For me, that reflection carried an even deeper meaning this year.
Just a few weeks ago, our family farewelled my father-in-law, John, who dedicated a decade as a very proud Barwon Health volunteer. He loved his role with a passion that was impossible to miss. He believed deeply in showing up, helping others and contributing to something bigger than himself. His volunteer work was never something he simply did; it became part of who he was.
He would often say that he got more out of volunteering than what he ever gave. Perhaps that is one of the most special things about volunteering. Those who give their time so generously are often the very people who speak about the purpose found, the friendships formed and the sense of connection they receive in return.
Like many families, we discussed the important personal items we wanted to farewell John with. His Barwon Health volunteer uniform was placed with him, because it meant that much to him. Volunteering at Barwon Health had become part of John's story.
As I reflect on National Volunteer Week, I find myself thinking about all volunteers of the past, those volunteering in the present, and those who will one day raise their hand to support our health service in the future. Together, they form part of an invaluable legacy of care and compassion that stretches across generations.
In many ways, that says everything about volunteering. It is far more than a role or a roster. It becomes identity, purpose, belonging and pride.
Every interaction, every act of kindness and every hour given leaves something behind. That is the true legacy of volunteering.
To every volunteer, thank you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your humanity. And thank you for making Greater Geelong a better place.
