It’s National Volunteers Week, a week to celebrate all the wonderful work that volunteers do to make the world better for everyone! We asked three Freerangers to share their favourite volunteering stories.
Rosyn – Sea Shepherd
I’ve been a both an offshore and onshore volunteer with Sea Shepherd for the past 4 years in which I spent 9 months of it aboard the Steve Irwin ship as a deckhand. Sea Shepherd is a marine conservation organisation that fights to defend, conserve and protect our oceans and marine habitats. Our ocean and its inhabitants are dying from illegal fishing, plastic pollution and the effects of climate change. Yet mankind cannot live on this planet with a dead sea. I’d recommend the documentary Seaspiracy for an eye opening look into the realities facing our oceans & planet. There’s so many ways to be apart of this change, why not start with a local beach clean!
I also have spent time at different animal sanctuaries throughout the years, helping out where I can. These sanctuaries spend all their time rescuing and rehabilitating neglected and mistreated animals. There’s so many ways you can help, by getting down and dirty on the farm and helping with chores, donating money, or even donating food scraps. Animals really are the best therapy, and they deserve all the love in the world.
Alicia – Carpets for Communities
A volunteering experience that I loved was for Carpets for Communities. CFC used a great model that both empowered women through employment and saved offcuts from the garment industry going to landfill. Women in Cambodia were provided with t-shirt off cuts and hessian rice sacks to hand weave carpets. These were sold in Cambodia and Australia. By the women earning an income, it meant that their children were able to attend school, rather than having to earn an income for their family through begging, collecting recycling etc. Women were also offered micro loans to start their own businesses to transition out of the program.
I visited the project in Cambodia and it was so special to meet the families who had benefited.
Nick – Farmers Market
Gotta love doggos. They aren’t allowed into our local farmers market but back before COVID times the market had a free pooch parking service that thrived with the support of volunteers. My daughter and I used to help out for a couple of hours on a Sunday petting the pups and feeding them treats. What better way to give back to the community? Miss that but blessed to have our own hound now. xx.
It’s here! We are once again proud to be design and digital partners for the Adelaide Festival of Ideas.
We’ve come up for a breath to share with you the events we’re most looking forward to this Adelaide Festival of Ideas. There are 131 sessions running from Thursday 12 July to Sunday 15 July, most of these events are free to the public.
You can find the full program online here: //adelaidefestivalofideas.com.au/2018-sessions/
Nick – The radical ideas that created South Australia
I’m really looking forward to The radical ideas that created South Australia. Not many people know that SA was founded on utopian ideals – a massive experiment in shaping a new type of society. We lost all that along the way somewhere but some radical thinking and a new type of society is just what we need now.
Free event : //adelaidefestivalofideas.com.au/sessions/the-radical-ideas-that-created-south-australia/
Rey – Human space exploration – the International Space Station, Moon, Mars and Beyond
The session which I’m looking forward to the most is Human space exploration – the International Space Station, Moon, Mars and Beyond by Pamela A Melroy. I’ve been having dreams about space lately and to think that we are so close to visiting our friends in intergalactic space is very exciting!
Alicia – When a stranger calls
I’m most looking forward to hearing Peter Drew, Benjamin Law and Jennifer Caruso’s panel discussion about what makes someone ‘Australian’.
I would love to see an Australia that is more welcoming and compassionate towards asylum seekers and refugees. I’m looking forward to hearing their perspectives on how we move towards a society where all people are valued equally and we can embrace the richness that interculturalism brings.
Free event : //adelaidefestivalofideas.com.au/sessions/when-a-stranger-calls/
India – When galaxies collide
As a lover of all things space, I’m looking forward to seeing ‘When galaxies collide’ by Lisa Harvey-Smith. We know so much, but also so little about space and I can’t wait to hear Lisa’s session. It seems like our (very) distant future could be both a scary and beautiful event.
Free event : //adelaidefestivalofideas.com.au/sessions/when-galaxies-collide/
Hannah – The abandoned Solar System
I’m a proud space enthusiast, and a hater of waste. As such, I am looking forward to Dr. Alice Gorman’s “The abandoned Solar System”. We have already sent so much ‘junk’ into space, and I am interested to hear how it will reflect on our culture, warts and all.
Free event : //adelaidefestivalofideas.com.au/sessions/the-abandoned-solar-system/
Wayne – The Future of Media
As someone who worked alongside some great local, independent journalists in recent years, I am keen to hear from some great minds at The Future of Media session. It’s a constant changing landscape in this digital age and traditional news media has had to shift dramatically with it. The who, why and how we receive true independent news content still plays a critical role in shaping and informing society.
Free event : //adelaidefestivalofideas.com.au/sessions/future-of-media/
Amy – Daring human…
Risk in creativity? Isn’t every creative act a risk? If so, then give me the courage…
Free event : //adelaidefestivalofideas.com.au/sessions/daring-human/
A case to answer
War crime investigation. I love a detective story. This seems to me to be quite a different kind of session for the AFoI. This has a look back, through the framework of now.
Free event : //adelaidefestivalofideas.com.au/sessions/a-case-to-answer/
In light of Australia’s recent overwhelmingly sensible and caring response to the same-sex marriage survey, we’ve re-recorded a talk Nick gave at the Global Collaboration Conference in Adelaide back in early October.
Let me tell you about one of my favourite reports in Google Analytics, the channels report.
Google analytics is an excellent tool for cause and cultural marketers. Reviewing insights regularly can help you to improve your online presence and even inform your broader marketing strategy.
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