As it’s the last Monday of the month, it’s time to open our vault and hear from another of our volunteers.
For March’s testimony we hear from Jack (below left), who tells us more about his pairing with buddy Kade (below right).
- How long have you been volunteering with Gig Buddies?
I’ve been with Gig Buddies for about 1.5 years. Kade and I started hanging out in November 2022.
- Is Gig Buddies your first volunteering role?
It is! But doing some kind of volunteer work had been on my radar for a while before Gig Buddies.
- Why do you volunteer with Gig Buddies?
I liked the way Gig Buddies paired buddies up.
On the website, there were anonymous profiles of people who were looking for buddies, and there was such a wide range of age groups and interests. There were people in there early 20s, and people in their 40s. Some people wanted to go on relaxing bush walks, others wanted to go clubbing. I thought that was such a cool way to get people involved.
- How would you describe your volunteering experience with Gig Buddies?
It’s hard to keep this one short, but it’s been an absolute joy. Kade is just a legend, he loves a laugh, he’s up for anything, and we can chat about anything and everything. The Central Coast Gig Buddies team and community are brilliant too.
- Tell us about some of the highlights from your time volunteering with Gig Buddies?
I think the best thing Kade and I went to do was Treetops in Ourimbah. It’s a ropes course with a bunch of different difficulty levels. We started out on the easiest one and worked our way up. Once we got to the intermediate course we realised towards the end that we might’ve bitten off more than we could chew, but we made it in the end!
Another highlight was having Kade and his dad along to my engagement party. It was really great being able to introduce some of my nearest and dearest to a mate I’d been going on all these fun new adventures with.
- What would you say to someone reading this who is thinking about volunteering with Gig Buddies?
It’s an easy way to do something good in the world. When I started, I was honestly worried that the things I was interested in would be too boring for Kade (he likes to hit the clubs, whereas I’m a homebody!). But at the end of the day, it’s about spending quality time with a new friend.
On some weekends, Kade and I have done some really exciting stuff. On others, we’ve just watched the footy at home or gone for a pub feed. That’s what’s great about Gig Buddies, the two of you decide how you want to do things, so it always ends up being a good time.
"…. it’s about spending quality time with a new friend"
Thank you, Jack, for taking the time to share your words.
Both he and Kade are a perfect example of what Gig Buddies is all about.
"I thought that was such a cool way to get people involved"
We’re always looking for more people like Jack. If you would like to volunteer with us, look no further: to sign up with our Sydney project click here, and jump on this link to get involved on the Central Coast.
And to find out more about our current openings, click on the 'volunteers wanted' images below.
Are you looking to volunteer?
We need volunteers! Click on the image above for current Sydney roles and the graphic below for opportunities on the Central Coast.
If you have any questions or would like more information, contact us via Facebook or email: info@gigbuddiessydney.org