Hundreds of thousands of people in the nation’s capital give up their free time every year, helping not-for-profit groups. But while Canberrans are among the most enthusiastic volunteers in the country, the cost-of-living crisis is having an impact on numbers. As national volunteer week draws to a close, those who rely on others to donate their time are highlighting what volunteers get back for what they give.
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00:00 18 years after his death, Rachel still finds it difficult to look through memories of her
00:07 father.
00:08 "It's just a nice reminder of who he was and how much I loved him then and how much I still
00:13 love him now."
00:14 Her experience prompted her to volunteer with an organisation that supports kids who have
00:19 lost a parent, and that's helping her to navigate her personal journey.
00:23 "Often grief is a really lonely experience so this gives children an opportunity to see
00:28 that they have a network of people who understand the experience."
00:32 Rachel is one of 279,000 Canberrans who give up their time for free, with 75% of people
00:39 over 15 volunteering in the past year.
00:42 The capital has one of the highest numbers of volunteers in the country.
00:45 "There's always been a really high engagement in volunteering.
00:49 A lot of that speaks to the fact that Canberra is a jurisdiction where people come together
00:54 and they are really mission aligned and values aligned."
00:58 And while the demand for volunteers is increasing, the numbers are dropping due in part to the
01:02 rising cost of living.
01:04 "People are needing to get a second or a third job and we're seeing older Canberrans in particular
01:09 needing to step away to look after grandkids."
01:11 But many Canberrans are still motivated to help others.
01:15 "To help children going through that same experience and give them the tools that I
01:19 could have used then is really incredible to be able to do and I think that drives my
01:25 passion to keep doing it."
01:26 "I always remember what my father told me that be selfless in giving out, eventually
01:33 it will come back to you."
01:34 Pranshu moved to Canberra from India last year to study.
01:38 By volunteering, he found his pathway to employment and a sense of belonging.
01:41 "Being a part as a volunteer now feels like a second home."
01:47 While the numbers are gradually dropping, volunteering brings almost $14 billion worth
01:51 of benefit to the territory.
01:54 The organisations they help and support acknowledge that volunteering can be difficult and time
01:58 consuming.
01:59 But those who do volunteer say they get more out of it than they put in.
02:03 "I think it's a great opportunity to be able to help people and to be a part of a
02:10 community."
02:11 "I think it's a great opportunity to be able to help people and to be a part of a
02:14 community."
02:15 "I think it's a great opportunity to be able to help people and to be a part of a
02:18 community."
02:19 "I think it's a great opportunity to be able to help people and to be a part of a community."
02:22 "I think it's a great opportunity to be able to help people and to be a part of a
02:25 community."
02:26 "I think it's a great opportunity to be able to help people and to be a part of a community."
02:29 "I think it's a great opportunity to be able to help people and to be a part of a
02:32 community."
02:33 "I think it's a great opportunity to be able to help people and to be a part of a community."
02:35 "I think it's a great opportunity to be able to help people and to be a part of a community."
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