Eighteen months ago, Jeannine Thorley was looking for a way to volunteer and give back to the community.
The Werribee resident often visited her mother at Mercy Place Wyndham and thought combining the two roles was the perfect solution.
She now visits the home regularly, undertaking a range of different duties.
“No day is the same – helping with exercises to help keep them fit, calling them to tell them functions are happening or even just taking them out into the garden to smell roses,” Ms Thorley said.
But the most important of Ms Thorley’s duties is keeping the residents company by just having a chat.
“I always pop in just to have a chat with them and see how they’re going,” she said.
“A lot of them are lonely and just want somebody to talk to.
“We talk about the old days, how things have changed, and footy – a lot of them just love footy.”
The most rewarding part about volunteering at the home, Ms Thorley says, is simply seeing residents smile.
Mercy Place Wyndham lifestyle co-ordinator Kerri D’Arcy said volunteers such as Ms Thorley were invaluable.
“They each bring their individuality and really enhance the quality of life of residents,” she said. “They become a part of our extended family.
“[Ms Thorley’s] added touch that she brings to the home is her sense of humour, dry wit, genuine personality and gentleness.”
