A new AMES Australia survey has found that volunteering is beneficial to both volunteers and the beneficiaries of their work.
Volunteering can build skills and knowledge, enhance employment opportunities, provide new and challenging experiences, and deliver feelings of personal satisfaction through contributing, according to a new survey commissioned by migrant and refugee settlement agency AMES Australia.
It also delivers measurable benefits to those being supported, including help in finding work and acquiring skills, as well as intangible benefits such as friendship and building connections within communities.
The survey canvased the attitudes of 85 of the organisation’s volunteers working mostly one-on-one with newly arrived refugees and migrants. It found that, overwhelmingly, volunteers believed they themselves benefitted directly from helping others.
Asked whether they benefitted from their volunteering work, 32% of volunteers said they benefitted ‘significantly’ and 78% said they benefitted ‘somewhat’.
Among the top benefits listed were ‘a feeling of satisfaction through contributing’ (96%), ‘learning about new cultures (77%), ‘building social and professional networks’ (59%), ‘improving personal and communication (soft) skills’ and ‘enhancing employment opportunities’ (39%).
The survey also found that volunteers believed their work delivered practical and intangible benefits to those being supported. Ninety-six per cent of volunteers said their work delivered either ‘significant’ or ‘some’ benefits to those being supported, and just 4% were ‘not sure’.
Among the top benefits to those being supported listed were ‘language acquisition support’ (91%), ‘friendship’ (96%), ‘building connections with local communities’ (68%), ‘practical support in navigating life in Australia’ (53%), ‘understanding how to access services’ (56%) and ‘help in finding employment’ (38%).
The survey found broad satisfaction with the experience of volunteering and a general feeling that it was productive.
Fifty-four per cent of volunteers were ‘very satisfied’ with the experience, while 38% were ‘somewhat’ satisfied and 8% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. Meanwhile, 69% of respondents said they felt their volunteering was ‘very productive’, 21% said it was ‘somewhat productive’ and 10% were ‘not sure’.
Among the challenges in volunteering cited in the survey were ‘time restrictions’ (39%) and ‘language barriers’ (27%).
Overwhelmingly, volunteers surveyed were likely to recommend the experience to family and friends, with 62% saying they were ‘very likely’ to do so and 23% saying they were ‘likely’ to do so. Ten per cent said they were neither likely nor unlikely to do so.
Almost half (47%) of the volunteers surveyed were aged between 45 and 64, and 20% were aged 25 to 34.
As a migrant from Greece who arrived in Australia in 1964, Dimitra Kimakidis understands the isolation and confusion that can come with moving to a new country.
That’s why she has been volunteering with AMES Australia since 1989, helping newly arrived women refugees and migrants settle in and feel welcome.
“I enjoy volunteering to help ‘my girls’ and sometimes I can share their problems,” said Kimakidis, who was honoured at the recent AMES Australia volunteer week event.
“It makes me happy to support people who maybe don’t have any relations or many friends here,” she said. “When I first arrived in this country, I went through the same experience of isolation and with no family here.”
Kimakidis helps Afghan women in Noble Park learn English, and she also teaches them knitting and sewing.
AMES Australia CEO Cath Scarth said the survey showed the added value volunteers can bring to an organisation.
“Our volunteers at AMES Australia do an amazing job in supporting our refugee and migrant clients and making a real difference in their lives. This gives our organisation extra reach and extra capacity,” Scarth said. “But the survey shows that volunteers also get benefits out of volunteering, and not just the feel-good effect of doing something selfless, but also valuable skills, experiences and knowledge.”
Read also: The Smith Family celebrates volunteers on National Volunteer Week
Geraldine is currently the Content Producer for Third Sector, an Akolade channel. Throughout her career, she has written for various industries and international audiences. Her love for writing extends beyond the corporate world, as she also works as a volunteer writer at her local church. Aside from writing, she is also fond of joining fun runs and watching musicals.
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