Volunteering Opportunities

Home Volunteer Tutoring

The at Home Volunteer Tutoring Program provides students from a refugee background extra support with their homework, reading, writing and English language. Volunteer tutors are paired together and are matched with a refugee family. The volunteer tutors will attend the family home, after hours, to provide one to one and a half hours a week of tutoring to the students.
The tutoring sessions are usually held once a week. Sessions run on days and times suitable to both the student and volunteer tutor. The sessions are held in the family home. This program suits volunteers who work full time and are wanting to volunteer their time after hours.
Volunteer Tutors assist students with their homework and are given training prior to undertaking their roles. All volunteer tutors must have a Working with Children Check and current Police Check before they are able to tutor in the program.
For more information see Becoming a Volunteer, and Volunteer Information Sessions to register for our next information session.

School Volunteer Tutoring

The GREAT at School Volunteer Tutoring Program provides students from a refugee background who attend North Geelong Secondary College, extra support with their homework, reading, writing and English language at school. In addition, it works to enhance, promote and celebrate harmony, cultural diversity and social justice in our community. The program has been running for many years and has been recognised locally and statewide as a leading homework club.
Volunteers are required to have a minimum of secondary school education themselves and are matched with students based on their subject matter expertise. Volunteers with strengths in the maths and sciences are matched with students requiring assistance in this area and likewise volunteers whose strengths lie in English and humanities assist the students with homework in these areas. The homework club is open to all students from a refugee background who are students at the school and are in Years 7 to 12.

The Homework Club operates on two afternoons per week, during the school term:
Tuesdays from 3.15 pm to 4.30pm
Thursdays from 3.15 pm to 4.30pm
Location: North Geelong Secondary College, 130 Separation St North Geelong

For more information see Becoming a Volunteer, and Volunteer Information Sessions to register for our next information session.

Homework Club @ Corio Library

An exciting new collaboration between Diversitat, Geelong Regional Libraries Corporation, City of Greater Geelong and Centre for Multicultural Youth has resulted in a new homework club for Geelong.
The homework club is located at Corio Library and aims to support students who have recently arrived to Australia from a refugee background.
The homework club requires the support of volunteers who provide homework help for students. Students attending the program are in Prep to Year 12, all of whom are attending local schools.
The Homework Club operates during the school term:
Every Monday from 4.00pm to 5.30pm
Location: Corio Library, Cox Rd, Geelong VIC 3214
Volunteer Tutors are given training prior to undertaking their roles. All volunteer tutors must have a Working with Children Check and current Police Check before they are able to tutor in the program.
For more information see Becoming a Volunteer and Volunteer Information Sessions to register for our next information session.

Assisting new arrivals with “Settling In”

The “Settling In” project has been created in order to help build the capacity of newly arrived humanitarian entrants supported by Diversitat within the initial weeks of their arrival in Geelong. The focus will be on ensuring that new arrivals are comfortable and able to access and use public transportation and that they are aware of their local surroundings and the services available in the area including supermarkets, hospitals, libraries and leisure facilities.

The “Settling In” projects overall aim is to ensure that all new arrivals feel settled, secure and are connected to community. The project will rely on volunteer support and offers volunteers a unique opportunity to welcome new arrivals to Geelong in a very practical way.

If you are interested in welcoming new arrivals to Geelong and wish to provide some practical support please contact Community Development Project Worker Cindy Marshall cindy.marshall@diversitat.org.au or on 5260 6000.

Driving Practice Program

The Driving Practice Program is a volunteer mentor support program aimed at assisting mature age refugees gain the driving experience they require to be safe and competent drivers.
Volunteers come from all walks of life and no prior experience is necessary. Volunteers will be trained by a qualified trainer and receive Cultural awareness training.
All Learner Drivers must attend a Driving Education Program and be assessed as safe by a qualified driving instructor before being matched with a Mentor.
A five star safety rated car will be supplied by Diversitat to be used during the mentoring sessions.
To become involved in this program you will be required to commit one to two hours a week of your time.
For more information see Becoming a Volunteer, and Volunteer Information Sessions to register for our next information session.

Volunteer Housing Support Program

The Volunteer Housing Support Program is aimed at supporting the housing needs of new arrivals. Housing is one of the most significant factors in successful settlement, yet the system in Australia is highly dependent upon English literacy and knowledge and skills specialised to the local area. Demand to see caseworkers is high in relation to requests for assistance in looking for new houses, requesting maintenance and completing housing application forms. These tasks often require ongoing support for many days and weeks, as clients apply for many houses. Volunteers are able to provide practical assistance for clients in this area by undertaking a volunteer role within this program.
This role involves providing clients support and assistance in:
• Searching for available rental properties
• Informing clients of inspection times for rental properties and noting down the relevant details
• Completing application forms for the houses that have been inspected
• Filling out maintenance request forms to send to real estate agents
To become involved in this program you will be required to commit one to two hours a week of your time from 10am to 12pm. Volunteers are rostered on to one session per week during this time.
Location: Northern Community Hub, 25-41 Arunga Ave Norlane
For more information see Becoming a Volunteer, and Volunteer Information Sessions to register for our next information session.

Job Club

Would you like to support young people (15-25 years) to search, prepare for and apply for work?

JOB CLUB aims to provide individualised support for young people when investigating employment and education pathways, preparing resumes and cover letters, practicing for job interviews and searching for local employment opportunities.

Tuesdays from 4.00pm – 6.00pm

Location: Diversitat Northern Community Hub, 25-41 Arunga Ave Norlane

For more information see Becoming a Volunteer, and Volunteer Information Sessions to register for our next information session.
To become involved in this program you will be required to commit one to two hours a week of your time from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.

Transport Assistance Program

The casework team working with Settlement and Community Support Services at Diversitat assist clients who are newly arrived to Australia from a refugee background. This team of dedicated professionals require a number of volunteers to assist them with on call transport assistance.
Newly arrived clients find it difficult to get to appointments at the hospital, doctors or to the dentist, sometimes those appointments are located in Melbourne. We require volunteers who have the time to drive the client, in a Diversitat vehicle, to and from their appointments.
If you are available throughout the week, hold a current driver’s licence and feel that you could assist in this practical and supportive way please register your interest for an upcoming Volunteer Information Session.
For more information see Becoming a Volunteer, and Volunteer Information Sessions to register for our next information session.

Aged Support provide assistance for older clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to reach their full potential and seek volunteers in group activities (games, chats and walks).

We are always on the lookout for friendly, happy and chatty volunteers to join our busy team.

Volunteers are to agree with the Diversitat Volunteer Policy and a second language would be advantageous.

For further enquiries please contact Lloyd Tan on Tel (03) 5222 7275 or lloyd.tan@diversitat.org.au

Pako Festa

Opportunities range from pre-event activities like distributing posters, to assisting with mail-outs and office duties, to working with Pakington Street traders and local residents. Duties on Pako Festa day itself might involve assisting with traffic management and crowd control, distributing programs, setting up and dismantling displays and signage and relaying messages.

Check the Pako Festa website on www.pakofesta.com.au and contact us through this site if you are interested in volunteering.

Stitch Sewing Program

Do you have skills in sewing? Are you interested in empowering women? Are you a people person who is interested in learning about other cultures? If so, the Stitch Sewing Program may be the volunteer program for you!

The program offers volunteers an opportunity to share their sewing skills and interact with new arrivals in a warm and friendly environment.

Wednesdays from 11am to 2pm and Thursdays from 11am to 3pm
Location: Northern Community Hub, 25-41 Arunga Avenue Norlane

The Stitch Sewing Program brings together women from diverse cultural backgrounds along with volunteers and allows participants to share the sewing skills from their cultures and develop new skills through interaction and learning from each other. The program not only teaches women to sew but encourages the development of English skills and social connections in a welcoming environment.

Volunteers are called upon to offer support with sewing and an interest and skills in this area along with a love of working with people is preferred. The program is coordinated by longstanding volunteer and Diversitat employee Julie Giles.
We are always looking for new volunteers to be involved in this program, so if you have some free time, know how to sew and like to empower women, please go to Becoming a Volunteer and Volunteer Information Sessions to register for our next information session.

Stitch Sewing Program Position Description

We are also seeking donations of fabric, clothing and sewing machines that the group can use. To arrange a donation drop off please email yvonne.lyons@diversitat.org.au

94.7 The Pulse is a community radio station run on a non-for-profit basis. Presenters and staff at 94.7 The Pulse are mostly volunteer contributors. Community radio is a vibrant industry full of people who are in it because they love it Community radio exists to serve people in the community whose needs are not being met by the commercial or national sectors of broadcasting.

Each week, 94.7 The Pulse broadcast a variety of programs including talk-based current affairs, specialist music, youth oriented programs and multi-cultural programs. These programs are producuced and presented by individuals who were assessed and accepted by The Pulse and allocated an on-air shift.

We are always looking for enthusiastic for people from all facets of the community to become a volunteer at 94.7 The Pulse. Community radio thrives on the large range of varied skills of its volunteers. Prior radio/broadcasting experience is not necessary.

So if you possess any of the following attributes: a strong interest in a particular subject, a love of music, interested in current affairs, admin/office skills, networking skills, highly organised AND want to contribute to your local radio station, we would love to hear from you.

Contact Us, or drop into the station to meet our Station Co-Ordinator, Leo Renkin.

We look forward to seeing what part you can play at the station. Hope to see you there!

In April 2016 Diversitat acquired the Belmont Oppe Shoppe. The store has a good reputation in the local community as a traditional Op Shop with reasonable prices and exceptional customer service. The Oppe Shoppe will develop partnerships with other Diversitat programs in order to provide training opportunities to Diversitat students in need to community placements and a convenient destination for programs to purchase inexpensive and good quality items. The store sells an excellent range of clothing, footwear, kids toys, books, small electrical items, haberdashery and bric-a-brac.

The opening hours are Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4pm and 10.00am to 2.00pm Saturdays.

Location: Belmont Oppe Shoppe at Shop 5, 120 High Street Belmont (at the rear of carpark, behind Subway)

The Oppe Shoppe is currently looking for new volunteers. If you are available during opening hours and are interested in volunteering please contact Raechel Glesson on raechel.gleeson@diversitat.org.au  or telephone 5221 6044.

Donations of good quality items are welcome and are encouraged to be dropped off during business hours. Due to space constrictions we are unable to accept large furniture items.