Volunteer stories
Volunteers are the lifeblood of CanTeen. We need their help to do everything from packing bandannas, to cooking dinner or providing medical assistance. We have people who give an hour or two of their time, right up to people who spend a week away on camp with us... and we need them all!
Read about some of their experiences below and if you would like to know more about becoming a volunteer click here for details.
Andrew, General Volunteer, WA
Hi I’m Andrew, or Mosquito Man as some people like to call me, in reference to the PhD project I am currently undertaking into the environmental impacts on mosquito-borne diseases. Being a PhD student means living on a modest scholarship however a major advantage is the flexible working hours. So this means I was in a position to donate my time and become a volunteer.
About a year ago I scoped out volunteering at a number of organisations and was finally weighing up my options when a friend suggested CanTeen. It seemed like the prefect choice, as it offers a very flexible volunteering commitment and is such a valuable and important organisation.
Initially, I was a bit daunted and wasn’t sure what would be involved. However I quickly realised that CanTeen was all about bringing together young people in a similar situation to meet and support each other; and most of all having some fun. I’ve definitely had experience in having fun, so found the ‘have a go’ philosophy of CanTeen easy to connect with.
My first Rec Day was a BBQ with the mighty West Coast Eagles. Now they can’t keep me away! Since then, I’ve sold bandannas on NBD, been on a number of Rec Days and the awesome WA Summer Camp in Busselton. This year I’ve joined the Division committee as the Volunteer Rep and it has been great to get even more involved.
I find volunteering for CanTeen absolutely fantastic and I get a lot satisfaction from it. It certainly puts your own little day to day problems into perspective, when you see how the Members cope so well, with far more significant issues. The support and bond that Members create for each other is totally inspiring and it’s really rewarding to be able to play a small part in helping to facilitate that.