They say if you want something done, ask a busy person, and it would be difficult to find a busier man than Daniel Ramudu.
Although he retired four years ago, the Werribee resident continues to dedicate his time to helping and giving back to the community.
The former police officer and anaesthetic technician, who immigrated to Australia from Britain in 1984 and spent 25 years working at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, was one of 17 people recognised as a local hero by Federal Lalor MP Joanne Ryan last week.
In a typical week, Mr Ramudu volunteers at St Thomas’ Church in Werribee every Monday, provides comfort to visitors to Werribee Mercy Hospital’s emergency department on a Tuesday and feeds breakfast to hungry school children, who may otherwise go without, through the Red Cross Breakfast Club on Fridays.
He also helps out at the St Vincent De Paul op-shop at Werribee Plaza and fundraises and delivers for SecondBite, a charity which redistributes fresh food to the homeless and people in crisis around Victoria.
Until a few years ago, Mr Ramudu supported young people taken into police custody through the Youth Referral and Independent Persons Program, and he still volunteers with the Melbourne International Air Show at Avalon and the Weerama Festival, and helps the MS Society with its fundraisers.
“I enjoy every minute of it,” he said. “It’s important to give as much back to the community as you can. I encourage people to use their spare time and not let it just pass by.
“Giving just one hour of your time to help others makes a big difference.”
At the hospital, Mr Ramudu provides refreshments and support to people waiting in the emergency department, and reads books and plays games with children, offering them support at times of significant trauma.
“Having worked in a hospital for 30 years, I know it’s a place where everybody is stressed, so my job is to relieve that in whatever way I can,” he said. “I’ll offer people tea, coffee and biscuits and provide them with moral support.”
A keen sportsman in his youth, Mr Ramudu continues to walk six kilometres a day and, on Fridays, walks from home to the breakfast club at Wyndham Park Primary School.
“Some parents can’t afford to provide their kids with breakfast, so many children are waiting for us to open,” he said. “We give them cornflakes and milk and teach them good habits, like saying please and thank-you, and washing their dishes.”
Despite his hectic schedule, the 70 year-old has no intention of slowing down because he enjoys getting out and meeting different people.
“My brain is always ticking. If you do nothing, you get bored.”
Other ‘Lalor Heroes’ are Angela Broadbent, Ed Cachia, John Campbell, Peter Gavaghan, Brian Geary, Errol Hart, Sharon Jurisic, Jordan Morgan, Bev Morrisey, Mario Piovesan, Helen Powley, Pat Scanlon, Bob Stevens, Vince Taylor, Kerry Tuxworth and Mae Sie Win.
