Get creative: Pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone
Read any of our recent WestSeed blogs? The image designs are from one of Volunteer West’s awesome communication volunteers – Amanda Liew.
For the 10-part blog series, Amanda designed images to represent each topic linked to Sustainable Development Goals.
Check out her designs here.
Amanda joined the Volunteer West team in May 2020 to make the most of her free time whilst job hunting. Ideally Amanda wanted to work at a soup kitchen, but that option wasn’t available due to COVID-19 restrictions. Finding Volunteer West’s Social Media Marketing Volunteer role on SEEK, Amanda opted to volunteer using skills she already possesses and uses for work.
“I’m quite an ‘extroverted introvert’ and through connecting with other wonderful volunteers in VW, I’ve learned to come out of my shell more and push myself to do more with my skills.”
When work and other commitments picked up, Amanda took a break from volunteering. Volunteer West is proud to be a flexible organisation, working around volunteer schedules and offering support where we can. When Amanda got back in touch in June this year, we were delighted to have her back in the team.
She spoke to us about her volunteering experience at Volunteer West.
Describe a typical day in your volunteer role:
My volunteer hours vary within the Communications team and there isn't a typical shift. I'm currently working on blog banners and social posts for the team.
What do you enjoy about volunteering and why is volunteering important to you?
I enjoy being able to give back to the community that has accepted me as one of their own when I moved here from Malaysia.
Throughout my career, I’ve had great mentors and friends within the industry that have shared their wisdom and skills with me unconditionally – I feel that it’s very important that I continue this cycle of skill-sharing and paying it forward in any way I can.
Through volunteering, I hope to make a positive impact on the people around me by using my strengths and passions to be at my best and help them to be at theirs.
What is your top tip for someone thinking about volunteering?
I would say have an open mind and a skill is a skill, no matter how small you may think it is. There is such a wide range of volunteering opportunities out there and it’s really a great chance to push yourself out of your comfort zone and get creative!
What is your most memorable experience volunteering?
Working alongside Morgan Macdonald during the WestSeed mapping project helped me discover many organisations that I would never have thought about! It really opened my eyes to the different communities here.
What have you learned about yourself and your community through volunteering?
I'm quite an 'extroverted introvert' and through connecting with other wonderful volunteers in VW, I've learned to come out of my shell more and push myself to do more with my skills. It's also a great way to help me not dwell on work that has been greatly affected by the lockdowns - it's a source of comfort to know that there is a volunteering community that I can reach out to.
Vollies of the West
Volunteered recently? Have an experience you'd like to share with us? Tell us your story! Vollies of the West celebrates the many individuals who volunteer their time in Melbourne’s west to make a difference in our community!
Share your volunteer journey with us or be inspired by these stories to kick start your volunteer experience!