Eastern Volunteering
Eastern Volunteer Resource Centre Inc. (Eastern Volunteers) is a not for profit organization established in 1976, that provides volunteer assistance and community transport to people living in the cities of Maroondah and Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
Address
First Floor 1a / 36 New Street RingwoodMelbourne 3134
Melbourne
Website: http://www.easternvolunteers.org.au
Contact
Name: -
Phone: (03) 9870 7822
Fax: (03) 9879 4200
Email: Contact Eastern Volunteering
About
Eastern Volunteers - Leading the way in community services
Our Mission
Eastern Volunteers delivers high quality and innovative services, working in productive partnerships, to meet the needs of the community and to enhance the lives of many.
Our Values
Integrity : We strive to demonstrate impartiality, fairness, honesty and independence in everything we do.
Valuing our People :Our staff and volunteers are critical to our success – we acknowledge that they are our most important asset. We provide a safe and enjoyable work environment that is caring and supportive. We keep people informed; promote a learning culture and a balance between work and recreation.
Respect : We promote the acceptance of diversity and difference. We are non-judgemental, we listen and we demonstrate accountability.
Excellence : We are committed to high professional standards. We utilise best practice methods and strive for excellence in customer service.
Community :We demonstrate commitment in helping build stronger communities that will be sustainable and resilient. We give due consideration to environmental, social and economic issues in our decision making.
Partnership : We excel in business by creating partnerships, building strategic alliances and demonstrating a willingness to share, learn and co-operate.
Innovation : We seek to do business differently and better, by developing new opportunities and exploring creative solutions, and we keep abreast of technological and business advances.
Strategic Goals
Goal 1:
To establish our role as a recognised regional leader in volunteer services, community transport and community project management.
Goal 2:
To initiate opportunities to broaden our funding base, increase our income and significantly improve financial independence.
Goal 3:
To strengthen our relationship with stakeholders and develop productive partnerships and alliances with governments, businesses and the community groups.
Goal 4:
To increase volunteer participation in our programs and within the wider community.
Goal 5:
To be an employer of choice, offering a caring and safe work environment that is honest and transparent and that operates under good corporate governance.
Goal 6:
To develop a skilled volunteer-based marketing and promotional team to provide expertise, advice, planning facilitation and operational support.
Goal 7:
To excel in customer service and the delivery of client service.
Examples of work
Volunteer Transport Service
Eastern Volunteers is an accredited Home and Community Care (HACC) provider, with a team of over 60 volunteer drivers providing transport assistance to the frail aged and people with disabilities. This service enables people to attend health care and medical appointments, undertake shopping requirements, visit family and friends, attend activity groups and generally participate in social and recreational activities. The transport program helps people to continue living independently in their homes while still being able to participate in social, recreational and community activities.
In 2006/2007 Eastern Volunteers vehicles traveled 354,148 kilometers and transport volunteers worked 17,020 hours.
Volunteer Recruitment and Referral
Eastern Volunteers conducts regular displays, and also promotes its services and volunteering generally through weekly radio appearances and speaking engagements.
Eastern Volunteers also holds regular volunteer recognition events such as National Volunteer Week and International Volunteer Day activities to celebrate Volunteers and the important work they do in our communities.
Eastern Volunteers recruits volunteers from across the area, conducts training on rights and responsibilities and duty of care and refers volunteers to more than 300 community organisations. Volunteers are recruited to work with a wide range of agencies in areas such as reception, administration, accounting, children's services, youth work, aged care, emergency services, conservation, arts and heritage, animal welfare and so on.
Eastern Volunteers offers training programs for Volunteers and also acts as a resource for community service organisations, helping them to develop best practice volunteering programs, assisting with capacity building and conducting specialised training workshops that focus on agency staff.
Demand for volunteers continues to grow but of recent times the number of "traditional" volunteers appears to be decreasing in number.
The Outer East Managers Network, convened by Eastern Volunteers, meets bi-monthly to provide a support network for managers of volunteers.
Regional Transport Projects
Eastern Volunteers acts as the lead Agency and manages funding for regional transport initiatives across the eastern metropolitan region and also within specific municipalities.
The Eastern Transport Register coordinates and provides an online booking service for a range of different vehicles, particularly buses that are owned by various Agencies who make them available to community groups and individuals in their down time.
Yarra Ranges Community Access Project, bringing together local groups to improve transport options and services for HACC clients across the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
Yarra Ranges Transport Connections Project is a 3 year funded project aimed at identifying transport gaps and transport disadvantage across the Shire of Yarra Ranges and developing sustainable community based solutions in cooperation with the state government.
The Transport Your Resource in the East (TYRE), convened by Eastern Volunteers, meets regularly to provide a support network for community transport operators across the eastern region.
Eastern Volunteers conducts regular displays, and also promotes its services and volunteering generally through weekly radio appearances and speaking engagements.
Eastern Volunteers also holds regular volunteer recognition events such as National Volunteer Week and International Volunteer Day activities to celebrate Volunteers and the important work they do in our communities.
Printer-friendly version
