Faces of Service: Jacqueline

"Volunteering has been part of my life since age 4 and it’s something that everyone should be engaged in or do at some point in their life, as a way of contributing to their community. I had seen a few other students of my school wearing SVA pins and wondered what they were for. When I learnt the pins were for recognition of volunteering service hours, I got excited and simply registered with SVA. 

Through my faith I share in voluntary Bible education work which highlights love, peace and hope. This has also been a major part of my life. Other volunteering things I’m still part of are, Stars Peer Mentoring through the Graeme Dingle Foundation. As a Head Student and Student Councilor I spend a lot of time and hours organising events like prize giving, socials, information evenings, fundraisers, camps etc., and past volunteering experiences have been - 40 Hour Famine, Relay for Life, Pink Ribbon Breakfast, distributing leaflets, teaching people without literacy and young children.

There’s a Bible quote that says ‘There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving’. I truly believe in this. Volunteering your time does bring you joy, because you see how it makes others happy and you in return feel happy. I’ve learnt a lot of skills but the most significant skill I have gained is connecting with people of all sorts, no matter their background. 

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Having a platform to officially log in your hours of volunteering service only motivates you to want to give more. It’s also a sense of accomplishment when you realise how much you have actually contributed to the organisations you are part of, your school and local community.”