As the recent natural disasters in Queensland, and Christchurch, have demonstrated, the support provided by Australian volunteers is both inspiring and crucial to our way of life.
International Volunteer Week, which runs from May 9 to 15, is a wonderful opportunity to recognise the great contribution made by Australians who generously donate their time to the community.
Over the past 12 months, Vision Australia has welcomed 620 new volunteers and we now have more than five thousand registered volunteers who selflessly contribute their skills, knowledge and enthusiasm to enable us to continue to support thousands of people who are blind or have low vision.
This year’s International Volunteer Week theme is ‘inspiring the volunteer in you’ and, as the number of Australians who are blind or have low vision is set to double to 600,000 by 2020, ‘inspiring the volunteer in you’ is becoming increasingly important.
On behalf of Vision Australia I would like to thank our volunteers very much for their unfailing support and generosity, which is appreciated now more than ever.
Kevin Murfitt
Vision Australia, Chair
