“No one can help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”
This week we celebrated National Volunteers Week and took the opportunity to acknowledge the generous contribution of all the Grammar volunteers in our community. This year’s Volunteers Week theme of “Changing Communities. Changing Lives.” was a great reminder for us to look inwards at what we can all do to make a change for the better in the lives of others. We caught up with our Coordinator of Community Services at the School, Mr Ben Princehorn to chat with him about what it takes to be a volunteer and the benefits of being a part of something bigger than ourselves.
In recent years Sunshine Coast Grammar School has partnered with the Shack Community Centre where their motto is ‘A Part of the Solution’, which Mr Princehorn believes best sums up what is most important in volunteering. “To see that you are a part of something bigger than yourself, a part of a team and ultimately a part of making a change for the better. Volunteering is ultimately about service above self but it’s also about enjoying that experience and taking the opportunity to try something new.”
Apart from the tremendous work, Mr Princehorn does at the School with our Grammar Helping Hands program, he also volunteers as a patrolling member of the Met Caloundra Surf Club and assists with the junior program. “It’s been a fantastic experience being involved with such a great organisation and to enjoy the volunteering experience with the rest of my family who are also actively involved. I have also recently been involved in supporting a couple of local youth-based charities and offering support when and how I can. I think it’s important to recognise how privileged I am to live and work in a place like this and to lend a hand where possible – however, I can.” ,” said Mr Princehorn.
Our community depends so much on the value that volunteering adds and the Sunshine Coast would be a very different place without the support that is given from the many charities and volunteers that support those in need, our environment and the animals who call it home.
“For me the most amazing thing about volunteering in the local community has been the opportunity to meet what I would regard as being some of the most brilliant, humble and unsung heroes of our community – people who selflessly put themselves out there each day to make the world a better place for others is truly inspiring. I have had the privilege of seeing people shaping their communities and making real change in some pretty diverse settings including Timor Leste. We can all learn so much from these people,” said Mr Princehorn.
“It’s always a great day when I hear about our Grammar students taking on volunteering opportunities beyond the school. It’s a reminder to me that above all else we help develop caring students at Grammar. My own children have started their volunteering journey and have made great friends, have heaps of fun, and are making helping others a part of their lives too. I think that volunteering is the one thing that connects us all regardless of our age or background. There is something out there for everyone.”
