Soo-Jin Goh is a volunteer at Werribee Park and has been lending her services to volunteer groups for more than ten years. She chats to Fatima Halloum about her inspirations and the benefits of volunteer work.
What inspires you to help others?
My background is nursing. I was a nurse and a midwife and I cared for my ageing mum. I see all these people who inspire me with their charity work and donation but I’m only an ordinary person, I don’t have money like Bill Gates, so I give my time and my manpower and it’s a way for me to get out and meet everybody and have a good time.
How do you think the municipality can benefit from helping each other?
We need younger volunteers to help because most of the volunteers are older now, some of them are in their 80’s. If you come out on a Wednesday, you would see about 70 volunteers there. You don’t need any knowledge of horticulture, you go there and they will show you and you can learn. I would encourage people to do more volunteer work. Without the volunteers there wouldn’t be a rose garden there.
Where is your favourite place in Wyndham?
My favourite place is Werribee Park, I call it my second home. Everybody is so nice, the rangers are like family and we look after each other. They always come and check if I’m okay. We’re like a family. People have picnics and while I walk around they tell me to join them.
What are the benefits of being a volunteer?
I started volunteering a long time ago. It’s a very rewarding job, you get to meet people, and it helps social isolation. You make friends and you become sociable. If people feel isolated and depressed and lonely and they have no where to go, It’s better to come to the park and do a few hours of volunteering.
