The enriching experience of volunteering

Volunteers form part of our social fabric across Australia. Be it fighting fires, keeping swimmers safe, or turning snags at a fundraising BBQ – people find fulfilment in contributing to society in all kinds of ways. In fact, almost 75% of Australians are involved in informal or formal volunteering*. And many choose to spend time with people living in aged care.

For volunteers at our Care Communities, such as Glenn Hill, the rewards are priceless.

Finding purpose, nurturing others

Glenn visits Calamvale Parklands Care Community almost every day. It’s fair to say he’s part of the family. In fact, that’s how he got involved.

“I started coming to visit when my Mum, Pat, lived here,” says Glenn. “She would deliver the mail in the Care Community, so everyone knew her as Postman Pat! Mum volunteered with the Uniting Church for years so I grew up with that spirit.”

After Pat passed away, Glenn wanted to maintain the connections he had made with residents and team at Calamvale Parklands while his mum was alive.

“When you retire, you can get a bit lost, and you want to make a difference,” says Glenn.

He took an increasingly active role in Care Community life.

“Glenn is just wonderful,” says Rana, wellbeing manager. “He brings sunshine into our Care Community!”

Resident Ann agrees. “It’s always nice to have a laugh with him. It’s just fun when he’s around.”

Supporting person-centred care

When a resident moves into Calamvale Parklands Care Community, Glenn joins our team in spending time listening to that person, to learn about how they like to live and the things that matter to them.

“We talk about abilities, not disabilities,” says Glenn. “Rather than dwelling on what a person can’t do, we ask what can they do? How can we help bring meaning to that person’s life?”

Glenn helps out with all kinds of activities and is on hand to drive the Care Community bus. BBQ lunches, ten-pin bowling with homespun rules and fishing trips are a particular highlight.

“Even residents who haven’t been fishing before enjoy trying their hand at throwing out a line. It’s a hoot, even if we don’t catch anything,” he says.

For men, ageing is often accompanied by a loss of social connection, which can lead to loneliness and a waning sense of purpose. Glenn’s a great support behind Calamvale Parklands’ men’s group, which is always active and constantly evolving.

“We pulled out a whiteboard and a metaphoric magic wand at the start of the year, and wrote down all our wishes,” says Glenn. “Some of the men wanted to go to a famous pie shop, so we did that. They loved it so much we’ve done it three times this year!”

Enriching lives

Of course, engagement means different things to different people. One resident who isn’t interested in group activities thrives on his regular games of pool with Glenn.

Glenn loves to make people laugh by calling bingo, and he’s on hand to help at significant ceremonies, like ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. He also plays Santa, joking he needs a few pillows to get the right physique.   

For our residents, it doesn’t matter what suit Glenn wears.

“Glenn is such a special man,” says resident, Margaret. “He has such a big heart and goes above and beyond to help everybody.”

We welcome volunteers at Opal HealthCare Care Communities across Australia.

* Biddle, N., Boyer, C., Gray, M., & Jahromi, M. (2022) Volunteering in Australia: The Volunteer Perspective. Volunteering Australia,