National Volunteer Week

People’s Choice Credit Union is supporting National Volunteer Week this week – the largest annual celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia.  This annual event provides an opportunity to highlight the role of volunteers and to say thank you to the more than 6.1 million Australians who volunteer.

People’s Choice would like to acknowledge the people who selflessly give their time and energy to make a difference in their communities.

Through its Staff Volunteering Program, over this past year more than 120 People’s Choice staff members have volunteered more than 630 hours to the following community partners:

o The Smith Family
o The Salvation Army
o Events SA Pageant Company
o Prahran Mission VIC
o Northern Area Child & Youth Services (NACYS) SA
o Somerville Community Service NT
o Special Needs Children Xmas Party NT
o Riverland Christmas Appeal
o Adventist Development & Relief Agency (ADRA - Victor Harbor Area)

In addition to this, approximately 500 staff, family and friends volunteered their time at the 2011 Credit Union Christmas Pageant. 

There is also an abundance of people who are involved in volunteering at a personal level through schools, sporting clubs and other personal interests. 

For everyone who selflessly volunteers their time in any way, shape or form – People’s Choice would like to say thank you.

What does a volunteer look like?  They look like you!
 
• 36% of the Australian adult population currently volunteer. The estimated number of volunteers in Australia doubled from 1995 to 2010.
• The volunteer workforce in Australia was estimated to provide over $14.6 billion of unpaid labour in 2006-2007 (ABS Satellite Accounts) 
• The total annual hours volunteered in 2006 were 713 million.
• Slightly more women (40%) than men (37%) volunteered.
• People aged 45-54 years reported the highest rate of volunteering.
• Young people represented 9.4% of all people who had volunteered in the previous 12 months. 593,700 people aged 18-24 had undertaken voluntary work in the previous 12 months