Sarah can’t disguise her passion for volunteering—and for volunteers. “I love them, honestly, I do!” she said with a smile. “It is such an impressive thing to do with your time, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis. They want to give something back to their community. It’s just inspiring.”
With her genuine appreciation for our amazing volunteers, combined with her experience working as Retail Supervisor at our op-shop in Phillip for the past two years, Sarah was a natural choice for the Volunteer Coordinator role.
“It is very different from the retail setting, it’s a lot quieter, less chitter chatter, and I already miss the beautiful volunteers. But it is definitely a fun challenge, and I am already learning a lot”, she said.
As Volunteer Coordinator, Sarah will focus on developing our volunteer database, engaging with team leaders, and fostering a supportive and engaging culture for our volunteers.
Her early goals in her new role include enhancing the on-boarding and induction process to be more efficient and consistent. She also feels it is important to increase clarity about how volunteers fit into the larger picture. “We want to show volunteers their positive impact on the organisation, and how that allows the organisation to have greater impact on the community”, she explained.
Originally from Sydney, Sarah moved to Canberra for university, earning a double degree in Political Science and International Security Studies from ANU. She enjoys the slower pace of the smaller city and its strong sense of community. “In the retail shop, we recognised the people who came in regularly,” she said. “It really felt like we were part of a community setting, and that just wouldn’t happen in a larger city”.
Prior to joining Anglicare, Sarah worked in various retail roles and volunteered running children’s programs with the youth minister at a local church. In her free time, she enjoys reading and is learning to ice skate!
We are thrilled to have Sarah’s passion and perspective in the volunteer team, especially while Volunteer Manager, Laura Dawson, is on parental leave, and we look forward seeing how her drive and dedication progress the volunteer experience.
Visit our Volunteers page to learn more about volunteer opportunities with Anglicare.
