Do something different in 2023 and volunteer

City Mission volunteers come together from a range of different backgrounds helping make a difference to the lives of those in our community who need it most.

Volunteers have been the backbone of City Mission in the North and North-West for more than 160 years.

Every year, more than 500 volunteers donate their time, energy and expertise to help us deliver services across the Mission including retail, admin, hospitality, youth work and more.

With volunteers taking up over three-quarters of the workforce, they are an integral part of our operations and without them, we would not be able to continue the work we do for the community.

“Our volunteers play an important role and without them, there wouldn’t be a City Mission,” City Mission’s CEO Stephen Brown said.

“We have some of the most dedicated volunteers and their support allows us to provide essential services to those most in need within our community.”

Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community, meet new friends and learn new skills.

City Mission volunteer John Morley (77) said volunteering allowed him to stay engaged with his community and stay physically and mentally active.

“I retired 10 years ago and there is only so much Netflix you can watch, I found that my brain was going stale and I needed to find something to keep me switched on and stimulated,” he said.

After teaching people his whole career as a motor mechanic and then later in life as a flight instructor, John is now learning new skills through City Mission.

“I volunteer in the electrical department at one of our sorting warehouses, I test all the electrical equipment that comes in, ready for the electrician to tag them ready for sale in our Mission Shops,” John said.

“I have never seen so many hair straighteners and curlers in my life and the other day we had a waxing pot, I’m learning something new every day.”

John volunteers two days a week and spends the rest of his days tending to his bees and working at his local Probus Club, finding speakers for their events.

“I love meeting people and hearing their stories, everyone I work with here at City Mission has been great to me, I feel like I am giving back to the community, “ he said.

“Two days a week is perfect for me and it means I’m out of the house on Thursdays, that’s cleaning day and my wife says I get in the way."

There are many ways to help with volunteering positions available in our Mission Shops, sorting donations in our warehouses, Preparing food in Morton’s Place and even admin roles in our offices or remotely in data entry.

A full list of positions can be found here. If you would like to join our team and give back to the community, call us on 6335 3000.