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Pictured in Tesco Mitchelstown during National Volunteering Week were, front, l-r: Mary Dunleavy, Catherine Boland, Katie Levine (Cork Volunteer Centre), May Moriarty, Liz Downes (Tesco Community Champion) and Personnel Manager Marie Sheehan. Back l-r: Kay Dawson, Tony Murphy, Michael White, Tom Condon and Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe. Photo: Sandra Quinn

Volunteers come from every walk of life and they all get into volunteering for very different reasons - throughout National Volunteering Week, the Cork Volunteer Centre promoted awareness of volunteering, while also saying thank you to the volunteers in the Mitchelstown area.

During an appreciation afternoon with an informal chat, hosted by Community Champion Liz Downes in Tesco Mitchelstown, Liz told the volunteers that the 47 organisations in Mitchelstown would not be able to grow and thrive without their valued time and dedication.

She added that volunteers are at the heart of the community and she said that National Volunteering Week is an opportunity to say thank you to all those who give up so much for others. All of the volunteers were presented with chocolates and also a National Volunteering Week t-shirt.

The volunteers present represented COPE Foundation, The Alzheimer's Society, Mitchelstown Community Council, the Youth Cafe, Lion's Club, Mitchelstown Forum, AROMA and Girl Guides and all of them had become volunteers over the years for very different reasons and now it is a huge part of their lives.

Tom Condon, Tony Murphy and Mae Moriarty are all involved with COPE Foundation and they all found that it was a great way to help those who cannot help themselves, while Michael White has been working with Mitchelstown Community Council for the past 25 years to help coordinate and organise work in the locality.

They were all brought into volunteering through different paths, for some it was a personal connection to the area, and for others like Kay Dawson, it was a way to meet new people when she was new to the area and she said that over the years, being part of different organisations has helped her to become part of the community. 

Similarly, Mary Dunleavy first joined the ICA to meet people and now volunteers with The Alzheimer's Society of Ireland who have support services all over North Cork, with a centre in Mallow and also one day services in Fermoy and Conna.

Liz Downes became involved with the Girl Guides 34 years ago when her own daughter was a member, and now some of the children that were there 30 years ago are mothers to the young girls who are in the Girl Guides now.

Catherine Boland is one such girl who grew up to become a volunteer herself and she said that it is through the Girl Guides and volunteering that she got her job, as it gave her skill sets and elements which she could carry on through to the workplace.

Placement Officer with the Cork Volunteer Centre, Katie Levine said that volunteering is a great way to boost your CV while out of work and it is also a good way to do something outside of work.

She explained that all over the country, there are 1,700 people registered as volunteers for 450 non-profit organisations and since Katie joined the centre three years ago, she has seen those numbers double.

Katie said that many people think of volunteering as one particular thing and they don't explore the vast options out there, but when they look into it, they see that they can help people by using their own skills or interests to enhance an organisation and help others.

She added that befriending is a very popular role, where people act as companions for those in nursing homes or people living on the fringes of society. A lot of foreign nationals who have moved to Ireland also find that volunteering is a good way to integrate into the community and learn English as well as exploring other things about the local culture.

Cllr Kevin O'Keeffe who was also there on the day said that the National Volunteering Week is a great initiative and he said that the volunteers all have to be commended for the hard work that they do.

For more information on volunteering, contact the Cork Volunteer Centre on 021-4396510 or email info@volunteercork.ie

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