Dear Victorians,
The whole team at Volunteering Victoria hopes that you and yours are keeping well despite the enormous ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic. Let’s face it, Victorians are only too aware of how difficult the last 18 months have been. The impact on our lives has been manifold. The results of research on loneliness in Australia published yesterday confirmed what most of us already knew or have personally experienced. The study found that 44% of us regularly feel lonely, nine in 10 experience loneliness, and 38% of us have never felt lonelier than we have in lockdown. Loneliness is so pervasive and detrimental to our individual and collective wellbeing that it is predicted to be the next public health crisis facing Australia.
So what can we do about it? For months now, millions of us have had to stay apart to stay safe, yet the roadmap out of lockdown and the daily uptick in vaccination brings us closer to reconnecting with one another. While there are no easy or simple answers to combatting loneliness, volunteering represents a powerful lever, one that can help us all in fostering a sense of purpose and belonging, in creating connections and allowing us to make a real difference across our communities.
Victorians, your communities need you. Let’s get back to what we do best, let’s get together once again. Thousands of meaningful volunteering roles are ready to be filled. To find one that is right for you, please consult the following resources:
- weVolunteer – Supporting Victorian communities on the road to recovery
- Volunteering Platforms
- Volunteer Support Services in your region
As always, the whole team at Volunteering Victoria is available to assist you in your volunteering journey. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us:
- Phone: (03) 9052 4524
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: volunteeringvictoria.org.au
