By Mikayla van Loon
Oftentimes the thought of leaving the workforce to enter retirement comes with both a sense of relief and panic for what one might do with their time.
This was how Habitat for Humanity Victoria ReStore volunteer and team leader Dawne stumbled upon the opportunity 10 years ago.
And she’s never looked back.
“I was fortunate enough to have a very busy and involved life. I had many interests and a couple of kids that went everywhere and so when I retired, to cut it off very quickly leaves you wondering what to do with time,” Dawne said.
“So the first thing I thought was, well, I’ve had a very good life so let me contribute. Let me pay back what I’ve already had.”
After reading an article about the Brush with Kindness program which had helped a lady clear and rebuild fencing on her farm, Dawne said it led to researching Habitat for Humanity thoroughly.
“I narrowed it down to two places…one covered individuals [but] Habitat for Humanity covered families and the motto they have is every child deserves a safe and secure home.
“I had a safe and secure home. My kids had a safe and secure home. We didn’t know what it was to be struggling and to be brought up in a situation where they couldn’t bring kids home to play.
“So Habitat won the toss of the coin and I have to say 10 years down the track, I have never once reconsidered my decision.”
Knowing the broader impact Dawne and her team of ReStore volunteers, her “habitat family”, have on people’s lives is a great motivation to keep going.
“Volunteering opens up a whole new world. It gives you a purpose to get up and get going,” she said.
“When you get feedback on what the organisation achieves as a result of each and every one of us putting our little bit in, it makes you go home and be all the more grateful.”
Although having volunteered with Habitat for Humanity for 10 years now, Dawne is still blown away by the facts and figures of how many people the whole organisation has been able to help.
“We’re actually in over 70 countries throughout the world and as a matter of interest every four minutes someone in the world, somewhere, is given the keys to a new home.
“What we do is not only build homes because everything we sell here goes into the building, we procure the land, and then we assess the people who apply to be part of our partner families.
“You’ve got to remember this is ownership of a home. This is not somewhere for them to go and live. This is ownership of a home and we build it from scratch for them.”
Going to her first handing over of keys ceremony in Yea last year, Dawne said she was hit with a range of emotions, crying tears of joy.
“As a volunteer I was quite excited about going off to Yea to have a look at the house that we built and…I cried like a baby.
“The emotion and the pride and the understanding was overwhelming and when people tell you their story, it is heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking because of what they’ve been through but it is exciting because of what they’ve got ahead of them.”
Being a part of the team that helped 7.1 million people around the world in 2022, Dawne said it is sometimes hard to comprehend but sharing that information with her team keeps the spirit alive.
“If you share that information with the people that work with you, you gather them in, you create this camaraderie, this experience that says hey, we’re part of that team or we’ve contributed and that’s very important for them as well.”
Dawne hopes her experience of volunteering helps encourage others to volunteer, to pay back what they might have had and feel like they’ve contributed in some way.
“There is a need for volunteer work if you want to call it work, but people who go in do so with an interest and a very definite approach to paying back and coming here, I’ve met people that I wouldn’t encounter anywhere in my life.
“We are an inclusive organisation, it doesn’t stop you contributing with your mind and with your hands.
“We’re always looking for volunteers. We will fall into line with whatever is available in the way of hours and days. If you can give us half a day, we’ll be grateful and we will talk with you about what suits you the best and we will accommodate you if you need special care.”
