Report: Lillian Leptos
To say that Mia was nervous when she first started to reach out to organisations for a volunteering position is a massive understatement. A couple of months and several volunteering sessions at the Salvos in Lalor, and that anxious girl is nowhere to be seen.
Mia is the picture of poise and confidence when I find her behind the register there. Not even the prospect of dealing with customers who shop with bags full of silver coins, making adjustments for people shopping with loyalty cards or dealing with very expensive items that have not been correctly tagged fazes her. There is always something challenging when interacting with the public and when a store carries a variety of items and a large stock base, but these days, Mia just takes everything in her stride.
According to manager Tina Arena (yes, she is a relative of the famous Australian singer), the shop has been deliberately heavily stocked to make it more attractive. With the financial crisis some people have been hit hard and the Salvos is the first port of call when looking for homewares or clothing. The shop has become particularly busy since the demographic of the area has changed.
“It used to be an older clientele, but these days the area is full of young families and they feel the pinch even more,” Tina explains.
Tina is clear about what makes a great volunteer: “Being aware and proactive as well as hardworking is really important and Mia displays all these qualities.”
Mia launches into the work as soon as she arrives and is proactive about suggesting the different jobs that she would like to try.
For Mia, this initial experience of volunteering has sparked a passion for helping people and she already plans to continue her volunteering work next year, whether she is enrolled in the volunteering elective or not.
After her time at school, Mia is scoping out a career in either the police force or in secondary teaching as a maths/science teacher.
“I’ve had some great experiences with really helpful teachers who know students and give them the specific help they need to learn,” Mia says. “That’s the sort of teacher I want to be.”