Bendigo Volunteer Resource Centre provides volunteer support services across the Greater Bendigo region.
We currently have online support services for volunteers looking to participate in short-term or spontaneous volunteering while helping community organisation to adapt their volunteer program to life during and after COVID19.
As we all adapt to life with COVID19 its important to stay connected to our community. Volunteers may look to community organisation to provide support and guidance during this time.
As leaders of volunteers in our community, Manager, Coordinators, and leaders of volunteer team play a vital role in helping volunteers stay connected.
We can do this by:
- encouraging volunteers within an organisation to support and check in with one another
- providing advice to volunteers about how to move their volunteering efforts online
- organising regular team chats or virtual meetings to help volunteers stay engaged and connected with the organisation.
Can people continue to volunteer during COVID-19?
The Australian government advises that people may leave their homes if they are needed in their role as a volunteer for a charity. This includes providing care or assistance to vulnerable people. Volunteer organisations must have a plan in place to manage the risk of exposure to staff and volunteers and protect vulnerable members of the community.
Update on COVID-19
BVRC wish to assure the community that we are still operating via telephone, email, and online inquiries for anyone who wishes to connect with us.
Our skilled team is available to support Manager, Coordinators and Leaders of Volunteers to adapt the changing volunteer environment to help people to be part of the solutions in meeting community needs.
Volunteer Leadership Forum: Reconnect: Adapting our volunteer programs to life after COVID19
Date: Tuesday 16 June 2020 at 10am
Register your interest in participating in this zoom video conference
Meredith 0417 053 059 or Helen 0435 532 020
Email: manager@bgovolunteers.org.au
Volunteers and Community Organisations are vital to our community and will be needed more than ever on the other side of this global crisis.
The BVRC has developed a safe volunteering fact sheet to assist volunteers and organisations throughout COVID-19 and is available to download here.
We encourage you all to:
- Get to know your neighbours
- Look out for friends and family
- Support each other and maintain contact with the community through any way possible including phone tress and social media,
- Put a rainbow picture or teddy in your window for people to see as they walk past
- Keep your routines
- Be kind, be thankful and be patient
For the most up to date and current information on the corona virus, please go to https://www.health.gov.au/
The Conversation’s tips on staying connected:
Volunteering Australia’s guide to volunteering during the COVID-19 shutdown:
https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/coronavirus/#/
The Bendigo Volunteer Resource Centre kindly supports the Help Your Neighbour campaign to assist our community in surviving the current COVID-19 virus and come out the other side more equipped, knowledgeable and ready to get involved again!
What is Help Your Neighbour?
Help Your Neighbour is a community campaign to encourage Central Victorians to come together and help their neighbours with simple acts of kindness in the face of the COVID-19.
During hard times neighbourhoods and communities have always found ways to work with each other, share resources, check on the vulnerable and provide support for the greater good. We know there are lots of people in our community doing great things to help others and we want to show people that it’s easy and practical to do the same. Help Your Neighbour promotes positive actions and connectivity that our community needs in order to be resilient, and to best withstand the risk, uncertainty and disruption of COVID-19.
Visit Help Your Neighbour on Facebook or download the flyer here
Volunteers helping make a difference during COVID-19
Anyone from the Bendigo Community knows we are a community that binds together during something as big as COVID-19.
Below, we would like to highlight things that are being done, and details about how you can help!
Bendigo Winter Night Shelter
Bendigo Winter Night Shelter (BWNS) works with local churches, community groups, businesses and individuals to provide support for people (our guests) who are experiencing crisis homelessness during winter in the Bendigo area.
They are a 100% volunteer organisation. Their volunteers are people who have a desire to work towards Bendigo Winter Night Shelter’s mission of supporting churches and the community to provide shelter, food and dignity to people experiencing homelessness.
For more information, or to apply go to http://bwns.org.au/
Eaglehawk Community House
Eaglehawk Community House is requesting assistance with a call out for a volunteer chef to support the preparation of 500 meals which is delivered to vulnerable people living in the Eaglehawk area. Volunteering work is conducted on Tuesday’s & Friday’s.
Contact Tracey : email: coordinator@eaglehawkcommunityhouse.com
Royal Flying Doctors – Community transport
Volunteers are required to provide vulnerable residents with free medical transport within a 50km radius.
Contact Paul: email – paul.biskupek@rfdsvic.com.au
Lifeline Central Victoria & Loddon Mallee
Volunteers are required to support vulnerable lonely people in our community. Training is provided.
Contact Rebecca: email – admin@lifelinecvm.org.au
Beanies for Homeless People
Donations to be dropped off to Madcow, Hargreaves Street
Scrub Hats
Strathfieldsaye Probus Club are supporting the Royal Melbourne Hospital by sewing scrub hats & laundry bags. Donations required of cotton fabric and time to sew.
Contact Joan: 5443 8083
‘MAKE IT HAPPEN – VOLUNTEER NOW’
