May 16 – 22 marks National Volunteer Week in Australia, recognising the many and vast ways members of the community give their time and talent in service of others. The theme this year is ‘Better Together’. The Missionary Sisters of Service have a long legacy of volunteering in a variety of roles over the years. Whether it be providing tutoring in English, visiting the sick, elderly or those in prison or detention, walking dogs, or being a ‘Friend of the Melbourne Zoo’, we have long felt that sharing our time and talents with others is a gift, and an important way that we can be a loving presence in the world.
Congregational leader, Stancea Vichie MSS, has been a volunteer with ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans) for some time. During this week, ACRATH have featured two short videos of Stancea sharing her experience of volunteering. In the first video, Stancea shares what she has gained from being a volunteer with ACRATH, while in the second video, she reflects on the notion of ‘sitting with them’.
In its description of the videos, ACRATH writes: We are very lucky to have a passionate group of volunteers including Stancea Vichie mss advocating for our organisation over the past 14 years. During National Volunteer Week, ACRATH thanks our volunteers for the important work they do. Walking alongside victim/survivors of trafficking and forced marriage means ACRATH can effectively advocate for these vulnerable people and as Stancea Vichie mss explains, this companion relationship is so much more than a weekly casual coffee catchup. Hear Stancea speak of her experience in the following videos.
Video 1 Stancea Vichie mss- What have you gained.mp4 from ACRATH on Vimeo.
Video 2 Stancea Vichie mss – Sitting with them from ACRATH on Vimeo.