Volunteer Vault #34

Gig Buddies Sydney
May 23
3 min read

On the final Monday of each month we shine a light on one of our wonderful volunteers, letting them take over the newsletter to tell their Gig Buddies’ story.

For the month of May we hand the baton to Magali (below, left), who tells us more about catch ups with her buddy Keith (below, right).

- How long have you been volunteering with Gig Buddies?

Just over two years now! And I felt part of the Gig Buddies family from day one.

- Is Gig Buddies your first volunteering role?

No, I’ve done a few volunteering roles before - notably, I volunteered for Uni 2 Beyond where I supported people who have intellectual disabilities by attending university lectures and tutorials with them.

It is an amazing program, but when I left university and discovered I could do a similar thing with Gig Buddies yet do ‘gigs’, i.e., fun social hangouts instead of uni classes, I jumped at the opportunity.

And now Gig Buddies has been the only volunteering I've stuck with.

- Why do you volunteer with Gig Buddies?

I volunteer with Gig Buddies because it makes me happy seeing my buddy Keith happy, and I genuinely enjoy hanging out with him. Also, I know we both get a lot out of it; for example, we can talk to each other about whatever is on our minds and step out of our comfort zones for new gig activities.

- How would you describe your volunteering experience with Gig Buddies?

I've had a very positive experience volunteering with Gig Buddies.

I'm so lucky to have been paired with Keith who has very similar interests to me, and the fact that the Gig Buddies team also plan events we can attend, makes it very easy to see each other as well as others in the Gig Buddies program.

- Tell us about some of the highlights from your time volunteering with Gig Buddies?

One of my favourite gigs was when Keith and I did pottery together (which I'd never done before) because it was something we could struggle with and laugh about together.

But I also have really enjoyed simply catching up over meals as it's been an easy way to spend time together while trying new food places.

- What would you say to someone reading this who is thinking about volunteering with Gig Buddies?

Don't think of it as volunteering, think of it as gaining a new friend and doing fun things you might never have thought of doing.

"….I felt part of the Gig Buddies family from day one"

We’re incredibly fortunate to have amazing people like Magali on our books. She and Keith are a perfect example of who we are and what we set out to do: two buddies catching up regularly, both of whom equally benefit from the friendship.

And we're always on the lookout for more people like Magali. 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?