If your New Year’s resolution was to become more involved in your local community, then read on!
Tomorrow Today, Benalla’s independent community foundation, is seeking volunteers to assist in the delivery of their education programs and they’d love to hear from local people who are keen to help the children and young people of Benalla to learn and thrive.
Volunteering is a wonderful way to connect with others and no matter your age, experience or availability, there is sure to be something that suits you at Tomorrow Today.
For those interested in helping babies, young children and their families, PEEP (Parent’s Early Education Partnership) might be for you.
Sarah Kennon started volunteering with the PEEP program in mid-2024, “I was in hospitality for many years and married with three children. My youngest child has severe disabilities which sort of changed my life a little bit. When she was born, I sort of had to give up my career in hospitality and focus on her. I find volunteering a very satisfying and good thing to do for me…to get me out of the house and to have alternate sort of joy other than full time caring,” she explained.
“I love engaging with the kids – I love their inquisitiveness. I also like helping the mothers and the fathers, helping the families. I like to feel like I’m sharing a bit of the load.”
“I’ve volunteered in a couple of different areas and organisations, and one of the things that I love about PEEP is the feeling of total appreciation and support from the staff. The flexibility has also been great – it’s not like a job. You can do it for an hour out of your time during the week and you get a lot out of it.”
As a PEEP volunteer, you work alongside Tomorrow Today’s educators to provide hour-long sessions for families with children aged 0-5. PEEP runs every school day at Tomorrow Today on Nunn Street.
Gary Bowman has been a Kinder Pal at Munro Avenue Kindergarten since 2019. Kinder Pals are volunteers who spend an hour, once a week at one of Benalla’s preschools, reading picture books with small groups of children and engaging with them in conversations about the stories. These activities help build children’s early literacy and language skills.
“I’m a passionate reader and I like sharing that. If I can be a part of helping kids getting some of that joy, then that’s fantastic. I also like the idea of being involved in helping kids be prepared to go to school.”
Gary encourages others to consider volunteering too; “Volunteering is a delightful experience for an older person like me and I highly recommend it. So, for those people who might be sitting on the edge thinking can I? Or should I? I’d say to just do it!”
Volunteering isn’t just for older community members, one of Tomorrow Today’s youngest volunteers is 19-year-old Hayley Pearce. Hayley was a Reading Buddy at Benalla P-12 College during 2024. She spent two hours, two mornings a week working with children in Years 1 and 2. Her experience as a Reading Buddy helped her to realise that education was a space she’d like to work in more. She’s now embarked on further study and plans to make a career in education. “Volunteering has been such a great opportunity for me. It’s helped me to see what’s out there and what I might be able to achieve in life. I would say to anyone of any age to volunteer. It really means a lot to the kids and it’s really rewarding.”
For those who would like to work with older children, Tomorrow Today’s cornerstone program for teens, Connect9, has two term-long sessions each year. Connect9 pairs a Year 9 student with a volunteer mentor for a 10-week structured program where they explore new activities that help connect students with the local community and broaden their horizons. The program culminates in a glider flight over Benalla which mentors are encouraged to undertake too. For many it is an unforgettable experience.
Tomorrow Today Executive Officer, Jodie Fleming, urges anyone with an interest in volunteering to get in touch. “We deeply value the skills and experience that volunteers bring to Tomorrow Today. Without them we would not be able to achieve positive outcomes for Benalla’s children and young people. We would love to hear from anyone in the community who is interested in volunteering with us.”
To learn more about our volunteering opportunities please contact Janene Humphries on 5762 1211 or email janenehumphries@tomorrowtoday.com.au.
You don’t need any prior experience to volunteer – training and assistance is provided by experienced staff. Volunteers need to hold or be willing to apply for a ‘Working with Children Check’.
Training for Early Years volunteers (PEEP, Kinder Pals and Reading Buddies) is on Wednesday 19 Feb.
Training for Connect9 Mentors is on Tuesday 25 Feb.