All Posts

On the tropical island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, a brightly painted hut at Punanga Nui Cultural Market overflows with colourful sarongs, handmade jewellery, carry bags and artwork. Visitors stop to browse the displays, but few realise the little shop exists thanks to the dedication of two volunteers who simply saw a need and decided to help. Today, it's one of the most cheerful spots on the island. But a few years ago, the shop sat closed and empty. The couple first a

This June marks 20 years in SES, and over 20 years as a JP. Somewhere along the way, volunteering stopped being something I did and became part of who I am. It wasn’t always the plan. The JP role started because we needed it at work. Someone had to witness documents, so I put my hand up. It stuck. Now I spend a few hours each week helping people in the community, witnessing signatures, explaining processes, just being there. It gets me out, keeps me connected. I’ve never been

They call it flood recovery, but what stays with you is the endless, stinking mud. When I joined SES, I didn’t have any practical skills. I was just a housewife, and I wasn’t sure what I could offer. But I saw a recruitment ad and thought, what’s stopping me? So, I decided to give it a go. I was lucky enough to get into the first intake. Some people wait years to get in. On my very first night, I turned up thinking it was training. Then I found out it had been cancelled. Oo

***Content Warning: This piece includes lost lives and grief. If these topics are sensitive for you, please pause and consider your current mental health before reading.*** I Joined to Help the Community but I stay because of the People. When I joined SES in 2002, I’d just turned 18. I was barely an adult, still figuring out who I was, and I thought volunteering was simple: you help the community. You show up, you do the job, you go home. I didn’t understand yet how much of t

***Content Warning: This piece includes themes of suicide, lost lives and grief. If these topics are sensitive for you, please pause and consider your current mental health before reading.*** Ron out on the water in Port Macquarie during the 2021 NSW flood event. I’ve been a volunteer on the water for almost 30 years, mostly in search and rescue. I’ve seen the river at its best and its worst, and it’s shaped the way I understand trauma, leadership, and people. But I didn’t st

***Content Warning: This piece includes themes of addiction, overdose, suicide attempt, and grief. If these topics are sensitive for you, please pause and consider your current mental health before reading, or skip this story.*** Sometimes the road that leads you home doesn’t look like a road at all. Sometimes it looks like a broken caravan on the side of a country highway and a stranger walking out of a paddock. That’s how Matt’s story starts. He didn’t wake up one day and d

If you’ve ever been to Riverfire, New Year’s Eve in the city, or any major Brisbane event, you’ve probably seen SES volunteers in orange helping Queensland Police Service (QPS) manage crowds and keep people safe. What most people don’t realise is that behind those volunteers is someone like Sven; a field commander quietly coordinating the SES preparation and response for scenarios most of us would rather not imagine. And if you ask him about it, he’ll downplay the whole thing

It was the first and only time in ten years as a volunteer firefighter that I genuinely thought I might be in danger. Burn over drills flashed through my mind: crouching on the floor of the truck, fire blanket hastily positioned to try and cover your entire body, waiting for flames to overrun the cab. It’s the kind of training you hope you’ll never need, but in that moment, it felt uncomfortably close. The roar of the fire coming through the bush was like nothing I had ever h

Behind the wheel of a truck out there is a man who volunteers in orange to help strangers on some of the worst days in their lives. Meet Matt. One of the many volunteers who are the backbone of our communities. Matt's Story: I joined the SES when I was 22 years old. I threw myself into training early and the following years took on a wide range of operational and leadership roles in different parts of Queensland: Caloundra, Mt Isa and Brisbane. Volunteering has been a big p

Canadian father and daughter forge lasting bonds whilst helping others in Fiji Volunteering isn’t just about the tasks we complete—it’s about the people we meet, the lessons we learn, and the unexpected ways we grow. Recently, my daughter Ayana and I travelled from our hometown in Canada to a small village in Fiji as part of a global volunteer program. I joined the construction team at a local school, ready to roll up my sleeves, while Ayana, passionate about children, enro

Volunteering at the Elephant Care Centre in Chitwan was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. To connect so closely with these gentle giants in a chain-free sanctuary was truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. Discovering Nepal Nepal, landlocked in the heart of South Asia, is famous for Mount Everest, the Himalayas, and its rich cultural heritage as the birthplace of Buddha. It’s a country of breathtaking scenery, vibrant festivals, and warm, welcoming people. I

In 2009 QPS put out an all-out immediate search and rescue call for a young Somalian boy who had been walking along the local creek with his brother's bouncing a basketball. There had been heavy rain the days prior, so the creek had a bit of run to it and was flowing quite fast. The kids were bouncing the basketball along the path when the ball bounced off the path and into the creek. The kid had gone into the creek to try and retrieve it and got swept downstream. He had las

There was just so much rain! Sadly people died!. So many people were getting stranded in their cars in floodwater, caught off guard by the volume of water and fast flowing currents, more suited to big rivers than suburban streets. Two other SES members and I were the first to arrive at the shed and had just begun sorting through incoming jobs when a job came in from a woman trapped in her home. She was sitting on the dining room table with her children as floodwaters continu

Volunteering in Fiji was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It wasn't just about helping kids—it was about stepping into a completely new world, collecting real-life experiences, and building friendships across cultures. As a volunteer with the local sports program, I spent time at a nearby school leading gym classes and coaching the soccer team. We mixed coordination drills with simple number games to keep things fun and mentally engaging. After that, it was all abou

Tara was burning again....destroying everything in it's path... so many homes and dreams lost... environmental destruction and endless animals and their habitats lost. Some things you just can't unsee or unfeel. I have hidden scars that will last a lifetime. "...hidden scars t I’d been deployed to dozens of major fires over the years, but this one felt different from the moment my boots hit the ground. Our strike team was hastily assembled: four trucks, twelve firefighters,

The rain hadn’t stopped for days. It fell in sheets - relentless, heavy, soaking the earth and spirits alike. By the end of another...

The concept of a 14-year-old boy being missing and feared dead was hard to comprehend but there was no hesitation when I set off to search, just a strong desire to do everything possible to help find him. So many volunteers turned out to help find him. I have been involved in a lot of land searches. I always think “what if it was my mum, dad, child or loved one.” There is a lot of empathy before I even leave home. In some ways this is good because it means there has been a

I was relaxing at home one night when the pager went off for a search and rescue operation. Two climbers stuck on a ledge on Mount Tibrogagan with one hiker feared seriously injured. It is a small community in the glass house mountains but hikers of varying capability come from everywhere to climb the sacred Aboriginal mountains and it is common for people to underestimate the challenges and need help getting back down. It is dark and nearly an hour’s drive from home to sear

This story is about finding a missing person and the loyalty of a dog when his master dies in a mountain bike crash. Dog refuses to leave...

Everyone talks about how a volunteer helps but no one talks about how they hurt.