Doncare would like to congratulate the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award Recipients.

“A big thank you for the full breadth and depth of the different contributions that each of you have made. Thank you for the contributions that you will continue to make and thank you on behalf of all those members in our community who Doncare has helped and served because of the contribution that you have been making.

Andrew Asten, Chair of the Board

Andrea De Rauch - Counselling

Andrea is one of those volunteers that has gone way beyond what would be expected of her. A short testimonial would not do justice to all her contributions to Doncare. Andrea volunteers in the Counselling program. Her role includes coordinating group work; initiating the popular MindCalm group; developing group content; facilitating groups, as well as training and supporting counsellors and students. She has developed groupwork intake forms and has been constantly available (even during Covid) to respond to participant’s enquiries. Andrea co-facilitated numerous webinars and has even appeared on InnerFM radio with Gabi promoting Doncare. Andrea is very efficient and organised and her skills are valued and appreciated.

Fred and Helen Jurgelait – Social Support for Seniors and Community Visitors Scheme

Fred and Helen are a wonderful husband and wife team who were CVS volunteers from the start of the program and last year maintained contact very regularly with their recipients by phone, internet and when possible in person. Both Fred and Helen are matched with recipients who reside in Residential Aged Care and with the length of lockdowns in Aged Care Facilities their continued ‘visits’ provided their recipients with contact and news of the outside world. Fred has also helped out at Carramar since 2009 and Helen officially starting her volunteering with the Social Support Program in 2016.

Jenny Round – Social Support for Seniors

Jenny Round has been the lead volunteer at Carramar since 2005.

During 2020, although the group wasn’t able to meet due to COVID, Jen continued to regularly telephone participants and volunteers from Carramar to offer support and friendship. The ongoing contact from a well-known, friendly voice during the extended period of isolation was very important and meant so much to the participants, many of whom are amongst our most vulnerable clients

In the Op shop Program, the following volunteers have done extra shifts in their own and other shops simply so that we can open the doors of shops to raise funds for our clients and programs. Some volunteers have contributed by increasing their office admin hours and others have put on their tool belt to set up two new Op shops.

We are extremely fortunate and grateful to these volunteers who offer their time, skills and experience to enrich the Op Shop Program. Congratulations to Volunteer of the Year Award recipients:

• Heather Lovell
• Lyn Cowley
• Carlos Varsarsky
• Bruce Young
• Julie Loncaric
• Rodney Fried
• Freny Bagli
• Nilla Benham
• Roger Chan