We all know time is precious. So, the fact that Carol Pickering has spent more than half of her life volunteering with VMCH speaks volumes of her character.
Carol joined the for-purpose aged and disability organisation as a volunteer at age 35.
Next week, as part of National Volunteer Week celebrations, Carol will be one of 44 volunteers receiving a service award. At 45 years, it’s one of the organisation’s longest serving awards ever given.
When Carol joined VMCH in 1979, it was known as Villa Maria Society for the Blind.
There was one woman, Doris, who was blind and deaf,” Carol recalls. “I learnt how to do the letters of the alphabet on her hands so she could understand me. She was so wonderful; I’d take her dress shopping and she’d know all the materials of the outfits. She was almost like a second grandma at the time.”
In fact, it was Carol’s own grandmother who inspired her to volunteer.
“I grew up with my grandmother for a little while and she was always very loving. Whether I like volunteering with older people because she was a much older person and I’d been around that, I don’t know. I just enjoyed volunteering so much, being able to be affectionate and to help people.
There are so many people out there who don’t have anybody.”