Celebrating community volunteers

AUSTRALIA will celebrate everyone who donates their time as National Volunteer Week begins on Monday, May 19.

Running until May 25, the week highlights the important role of volunteers in communities and encourages people to get involved.

Stephen Robertson and Kathryn O’Loughlin both volunteer as Justices of the Peace (JP), operating out of the document signing station at the Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre.

As JP volunteers, they are required to witness documentation, provide certification services and support preparing legal documentation, all at no charge.

Mr Robertson has been volunteering for 30 years now, and enjoys being able to help people.

“I started my career in local government in 1975, in Corio Shire, and it’s an organisation where you work very closely with the public and emergency services.

“For me it was all about volunteering to state emergency service, school council, army and giving something back to the community.

“I’ve been very fortunate through my working career with a lovely wife of 56 years, three lovely children and grandchildren, I’ve had a good life and it’s all about giving back to the community.”

Ms O’Loughlin has been volunteering as a JP for 10 years and was working as a legatee when she made the decision.

“I was supporting people who had just been widowed to get their war widow pensions and we’d be traipsing around cold winters day in Werribee trying to find someone to witness the documents.

“Chemists wanted to charge a dollar a page and some had 16 pages and that was a lot of money, so that’s when I thought I might become a JP. They just happened to be recruiting in that area at that time, so I got in very quickly.”

Along with volunteering at the signing station, the JP’s also give up their time outside hours, often meeting people at their homes or at a neutral location to witness documents.

“When you volunteer, you give a lot, you certainly do, but you get a lot back,” Ms O’Loughlin said.

“I think when busy people retire from paid work, we need a sense of purpose, we still need and want to achieve things and so you get a lot back from doing it.

“You walk out of here after a few hours, sometimes very tired and bleary eyed, but you think, I’ve helped people today.”

For more information on volunteering as a Justice of the Peace, head to justice.vic.gov.au