Go west

High school was something that I hated -” I never took it seriously -” and it got to the point that mid-way through year 11 I was asked to leave. It didn’t faze me too much because I was working almost every afternoon and going to TAFE two evenings a week to complete my nursing certificate.

I was so excited when I finally finished. Once I had my certificate I was ready to hit the workforce full-time in an aged care facility, all very eager, dressed in my royal blue trousers, a freshly ironed white shirt and a pair of black shoes you could see your reflection in.

My mum always said I would end up helping people, either as a minister or a nurse (I’m glad it was the nurse).

There is something about helping people that I have always enjoyed. Most of the time it didn’t look like I was doing that much, mostly just talking to people, sitting with them while they ate their lunch or dinner and watched television. But I’ve always believed it’s the small things that make a difference.

A culture of care is something I believe in, and it’s something we can all contribute to in some way or another. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, and it doesn’t have to be something that takes up a lot of time.

If you have been looking for a way to give back and you can spare a couple of hours a fortnight, then the Community Support Network (CSN) may be just the thing for you.

For those of you who are not aware of CSN, it is a project run by ACON that assists people living with HIV/AIDS in a time of need. CSN is a home and community care-based project that provides practical support. This is done in many ways: doing the shopping, carrying out duties around the home, or helping people get to medical appointments.

CSN is currently looking for volunteers in the Blue Mountains area. A training and information session will be held Friday 13 June at the Mid Mountains Neighbourhood Centre in New St, Lawson, between 10am and 3pm.

For more information about the training, or to sign up, call Maureen on 9206 2091. Rumour has it there will be a free lunch. See you there!

Matt Vaughan is the Community and Development Liaison Officer for ACON Western Sydney Community Development Team.

You May Also Like

Comments are closed.