Features

9 Ways You Can Volunteer In Sydney And Make A Difference

By Olivia Gee
7th Sep 2022

A collage featuring a dog, people marching under a banner for Seed Mob, and a bright yellow OzHarvest van.

While Sydney is abundant in yacht-owning suit wearers, G Wagons, and flashing casino lights, it’s also peppered with pockets of benevolence countering the high-flying glitz. But it can be a daunting task to scout out these hopeful beacons and investigate how your spare time might best be put to use helping those who need it most.

To help propel you into philanthropic action, we’ve laid out the details of a few fabulous charities and community groups driving positive change in Sydney. Whether you’re looking to join a one-off working bee or make a weekly commitment, here’s how you can volunteer around the city.

Wayside Chapel

What Do They Do?

The team behind Wayside Chapel has been providing on-the-ground support for people experiencing homelessness around Kings Cross since 1964. Today, its work spans from crisis support (providing food, showers, toiletries, and urgent care coordination) to ongoing training and employment initiatives like the Wingspan Project for the younger cohort, the Pathways Program for adults seeking meaningful work, and the Aboriginal Cultural Centre supporting Indigenous visitors to move away from trauma and reconnect with culture. There is now a second Wayside Community Services Centre in Bondi, and both spaces feature community gardens for residents to contribute to and a cafe serving extremely low-cost meals that affords patrons some choice.

How Can You Help?

When you join the 600-strong volunteer army at Wayside, you could find yourself serving meals at the cafes, greeting visitors at the centre, or helping sort and sell clothes at the Wayside Chapel Op Shops in Potts Point and North Bondi.

What Do You Need To Commit To?

Individual volunteers should email Wayside to organise an induction and figure out where they can pitch in. While the organisation is founded in the faith of the Uniting Church and does run regular services, it has a secular approach to its work and welcomes volunteers and visitors from all religious and cultural backgrounds.

Oz Harvest

What Do They Do?

The sunshine yellow fleet of Ozharvest vans picks up surplus food from a network of supermarkets, cafes, delis, airlines, and hotels that would otherwise go to waste, and delivers it to local charities. Individuals experiencing food insecurity who aren’t connected with a charity can head to the Ozharvest Market Waterloo (Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 2pm) to access free foodstuffs with a "take what you need, give if you can: philosophy. Ozharvest is also running a cafe-restaurant called Refettorio with Michelin-star chef Massimo Bottura in Surry Hills where patrons in need can enjoy dining out at free vegetarian lunches Tuesday to Friday.

How Can You Help?

Ozharvest has gone from one Sydney van doing the rounds in 2004 to a national operation, so there’s plenty to do! You could find yourself serving customers at the markets, bagging food hampers, driving the bounty to charities, cooking in the Ozharvest kitchens, working in their office, or contributing to school and youth education and training programs.

What Do You Need To Commit To?

First, you’ll need to apply online, attend an informational session, and be approved as a volunteer, then pass a police check (at your own cost) and purchase an Ozharvest shirt (this plus admin costs comes to about $20). How much time you commit to volunteering is up to you, but a once-weekly shift is about average.

Sydney City Farm

What Do They Do?

This peaceful plot in Sydney Park is a centre for hands-on education about agriculture and sustainable food production. The urban farmers at Sydney City Farm grow everything from sweet peas to citrus orchids, wheat crops, and flower gardens so locals can learn about biodynamic agricultural principles at farm tours, workshops, and volunteer working bees (alongside the resident bees).

How Can You Help?

Get your hands in the soil at weekly volunteer sessions or put your hand up to help out at events and education programs run at the farm.

What Do You Need To Commit To?

All farm volunteers need to register and attend a 45-minute induction before they kick off regular rounds of digging and harvesting at the farm. From then on, you can join in as many 90-minute volunteer sessions as you like. They run every Thursday and Friday plus every second Saturday, and you’ll need to book a spot.

Women’s Community Shelters

What Do They Do?

There are currently nine crisis accommodation centres managed by Women’s Community Shelters (WCS) in partnership with local communities around NSW, with many dotted around Sydney. Each safe space provides short-term stays for women who are homeless or escaping domestic family violence, and is tailored to certain experiences – some solely serve women with children, while others are for women over 55. These sanctuaries act as a first point of contact for services to help women get back on their feet, including counselling, health care, legal help, further education, and employment pathways.

How Can You Help?

Each shelter employs a manager and relevant case workers, with volunteers keeping day-to-day duties around the homes humming. WCS is always looking for additional volunteer support with delivering necessities to the shelters, fundraising activities, coordinating events, and help with activities for the women and children accommodated by the shelters. Any pro-bono work offers from relevant professionals (like lawyers or social workers) is also welcome.

What Do You Need To Commit To?

Start by registering your interest to volunteer (detailing any relevant skills or experiences) so WCS can see how you might best contribute. They’ll get the cogs turning from there. Remember: crisis centres serve people who may have experienced trauma and could be escaping dangerous living situations. You should be emotionally prepared for this, and operate with the utmost discretion.

Maggie’s Rescue

What Do They Do?

Abandoned or surrendered cats and dogs find refuge at Maggie’s Rescue. The team of volunteer foster carers and animal advocates at the no-kill Marrickville shelter rehabilitate and rehome these furry friends in need. They also run a host of events, animal welfare education programs, and cat and dog health and training initiatives to minimise the number of unwanted animals abandoned in Sydney.

How Can You Help?

Keen animal-loving beans can become Maggie foster careers while the team places the animals in permanent homes. If taking a woof or meow home with you isn’t an option, you can also contribute to events, animal welfare education programs, and marketing and fundraising efforts.

What Do You Need To Commit To?

Prospective foster carers will need to submit an enquiry form and do a casual induction to ensure their homes and lifestyles can accommodate a furry friend for anywhere between two weeks and three months. To volunteer in the events and education realm, simply share your details and the time you have to spend on rescue activities in the inquiry form.

Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network

What Do They Do?

Through awareness campaigns, government petitioning, and protest, Seed champions the voices of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the fight for climate justice. This grassroots movement rallies against government and corporate actions that harm the Earth and looks to create a framework for effective action on climate change centred around the experiences and insights of Indigenous young people.

How Can You Help?

Young Indigenous Australians can join the fight across the country and build the necessary skills to enact social change through Seed. You could get involved in digital campaigns or join IRL education events and rallies in your area. Seed is a branch of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, and non-Indigenous youth can volunteer and grow in other parts of this organisation.

What Do You Need To Commit To?

Simply register your interest and you’ll be added to Seed’s national database. This will hook you up with relevant information about campaigns in your area and other initiatives where you can volunteer your time and skills.

Story Factory

What Do They Do?

Young minds get a workout at Sydney’s Story Factory. Across its Redfern and Parramatta centres and in online workshops, kids from under-resourced communities aged 7-17 can access tutoring in creative writing and support for all things word-related. The goal is to build writing skills (with learning structured around the NSW school curriculum) and fill kids with confidence by nurturing this creative outlet. Beyond the storytelling workshops, holiday programs, and in-class events, the centre also offers learning resources to teachers and big one-off collaborative projects that bring students together.

How Can You Help?

Whether you’re an avid writer, reader, or just jazzed about creative learning, you can sign up as a writing tutor with Story Factory. This could be for online or in-person lessons which are run in line with the NSW school term, so keep an eye on dates for volunteer intakes.

What Do You Need To Commit To?

Sign-up online and attend the information sessions before the new term kicks off. For in-person workshops, volunteering falls during school hours during the term, while the online programs run after school (3pm – 5.30pm) Monday-Thursday. It’s worth committing to a full term of volunteering to watch the kiddos thrive once you’ve laid the foundations.

Centennial Parklands Bushcare And Bat Monitoring

What Do They Do?

From its sprawling gardens and ponds to the charming horse stables and engaging centres for environmental education, Centennial Parklands provides a tranquil green escape from the hubbub of urban life. It regularly hosts family-friendly events like astronomy nights, camping courses, and after-dark bushwalks, and there are plenty of historic buildings and secret gardens to explore year-round across its 189 hectares of open green space.

How Can You Help?

There are a number of volunteer programs on the go at Centennial. These include bushcare and regeneration efforts to rebuild habitats of local animals, restoration of significant Aboriginal cultural sites, and regular litter clean-ups to keep the parklands and its waterways sparkling. If you want to get to know the local flying fox colony, you can help out at the quarterly bat surveys where the furry flying population is counted and monitored to inform management strategies around this important group in the park’s ecosystem.

What Do You Need To Commit To?

Each program has different time commitments attached, but with most you can either drop-in and help out as a one-off or commit to a regular volunteer slot. There’s usually no experience required – you’ll be given instructions on the day alongside tools and often a morning tea. All you need to bring is sun protection and energy for the day ahead (many volunteer programs require some sweaty digging and lifting). Apply for programs with volunteer vacancies here.

Emergency Support Volunteering

What Do They Do?

It’s been a helluva few years. From the health crisis of the pandemic to life-altering climate catastrophes, emergencies have rocked communities in Sydney and beyond, with many yet to fully recover. The Emergency Support Volunteering initiative has been organised by state governments as a mechanism to rally eager volunteers when crises strike, and continue enlisting their assistance in the aftermath of these events. Right now, you can register to provide support for communities struggling in the wake of the NSW floods and those who need assistance dealing with COVID-19.

How Can You Help?

What you can contribute depends largely on the emergency situation and your skills. You could end up working on construction projects, delivering essential food and supplies, helping relay emergency information, or visiting households for social support.

What Do You Need To Commit To?

Simply register online, detailing any relevant skills you think may be of use in the circumstances, and you’ll be called upon if organisations in your area are in need of volunteers.

Now, meet the Ethiopian-Australian cook bringing injera, coffee ceremonies, and soul food to Sydney. 

Image credit: Maggie's Rescue, Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network, Oz Harvest 

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