Do you have a moment?

When we were first told that we had to do an action, I was a little overwhelmed. I lie. I was a lot overwhelmed. Being bombarded with great quotes by great men such as Ghandi’s ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ was a little daunting (great quote, however it sounded a little like a mantra for world domination or a cult thinking about starting a revolution). Yet, as I am doing my action now, I guess I’ve come to realise that every little bit counts.

My first idea was to sponsor a child through World Vision. I went through all the motions, researching my options, planning my spending, reading up on people’s stories, checking out the FAQ’s and all that other jazz. For so long, it sounded so good and easy, but then I hit a wall…

This wall of mine is a series of little bricks of reflections that have come together to form my obstacle, ranging from me considering quitting my casual job very soon, starting uni again, managing my joint bank account and saving money. I felt a little silly for quitting. I lie again. I felt more than a little silly.

But then this opportunity came along…

When I tell people that I’m doing some free work near King’s Cross, there’s this strange tendency for them to take a step back and freak out a little…but in actual fact, I’m taking my Action in volunteering my time at the Cancer Council NSW for the rest of the summer…


The statistics scream that over 32,400 people in NSW alone are diagnosed with cancer…and that’s just the individuals. Now think of all the families, friends and communities, of whose lives this condition will also touch.

I guess that statistic helps to put the work of the Cancer Council into perspective. It still amazes me when I reflect on the awesome work that the people there do, ranging from health promotion, facilitating access to information and providing practical, financial and emotional support, all things that they believe are imperative in the battle to beat cancer.

During my time as volunteer, I hang out with the awesome events and communications crew. These really friendly people are the brains behind all the fun stuff that you see and who have the monstrous responsibility of racking up all the funds to do the wonderful work that the Cancer Council do.

So basically what I do is just rock up to lend a helping hand and a few moments of my time wherever I can. I’ve stuffed envelopes (with lovely ladies who catch up for a gossip session once a week), updated administration data bases, drank a few cups of tea, catalogued banners, laminated random signs and organised paper work. It’s funny that when I summarise my duties into one sentence, it sounds quite trivial and insignificant…and there are times that I question why I even bother.

However, at the end of the day, I realise that if I wasn’t doing my random little jobs, someone else would have to, which will stop them from doing other more important stuff the Cancer Council is involved in. It’s really strange to say, but you know what, I think it just makes me feel good.

So if you’ve ever thought of volunteering a few moments of your time, I think you should just go for it! Why not start by shopping around on the ActNow website for an organisation that’s right for you (maybe even for the Inspire Foundation!)…there’s plenty to choose from and they’ll be more than happy to have you there!