One of Sydney’s most loved and well respected charities, The Wayside Chapel, is in urgent need of people who can volunteer during business hours.
Under the banner of “love over hate”, The Wayside Chapel provides a range of programs and services to ensure that the most marginalised members of our community have access to essential health, welfare, social and recreational services. There are volunteer roles available between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday in the Wayside cafe, youth program and on the front desk in the community service centre.
The Wayside Chapel aims to create a community where there is no “us and them” and volunteers play an important role in this community. People don’t need any specific experience or skills to become a volunteer. As Pastor and CEO Graham Long puts it: “What we want from our volunteers is for them to be themselves, to be real, to be free of judgment and to be something that approximates to a neighbour. In the good old days you’d hang over a fence and talk to a neighbour. That’s the sort of relationship we’re aiming for.”
Volunteering at Wayside is a rewarding experience. As one volunteer explains: “I started volunteering at Wayside to give something back to the community and to better understand what homeless people go through. I’m constantly amazed with the respect and dignity shown to those who come to the front desk in dire need. Volunteering at Wayside is probably the richest and most rewarding experience I’ve ever had. Each time I leave, I come away feeling more humbled.”
