$35,000 for dementia volunteers

Alzheimer’s Australia Vic’s volunteer program has received a much-welcomed boost thanks to a generous donation from a partnering organisation.

Alzheimer’s Australia Vic has welcomed a $35,000 donation from State Trustees Victoria to go toward training and supporting its volunteers.

More than one hundred Victorians actively give their time to Alzheimer’s Australia Vic undertaking tasks such as manning the national dementia helpline and speaking at community events.

The donation will provide invaluable support for the volunteers program, said Maree McCabe, Alzheimer’s Australia Vic CEO.

“It is extremely generous of State Trustees Victoria to contribute to our volunteer program which provides ongoing training and the coordination of 124 active volunteers who in the last year contributed a massive 5,100 hours of their time,” Ms McCabe said.

“State Trustees Victoria has been a valued partner of our organisation since 2002 and we genuinely appreciate their partnership and generosity.”

Alzheimer’s Australia Vic report nearly 72,000 Victorians are living with dementia and 56 develop the condition every day.

Volunteers receive comprehensive and regular training to enable them to best respond to calls to the National Dementia Helpline, which is supervised by professional counselling staff, Ms McCabe said.

“We receive around 350 calls a month and each call on average takes about 20 minutes,” she said.

Volunteers also provide administrative support and help out at medical student training sessions.

State Trustees Victoria is delighted to be supporting this program and the people who in turn support those living with dementia, their families and carers, said Vicki Hood, the organisation’s general manager sales and marketing.

“Many of our clients have dementia and it is great to be able to give something back to the volunteers who work so tirelessly behind the scenes to make a difference on the ground,” Ms Hood said.

Anyone interested in volunteering with Alzheimer’s Australia Vic can register their interest by calling the National Dementia Helpline on 1800 100 500. 

Further information about volunteering is available on the organisation’s website – see the Volunteer in Vic page.

Tags: alzheimers, alzheimers-australia-vic, maree-mccabe, state-trustees-victoria, vicki-hood, volunteers,

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