Ann Sudmalis (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently we celebrated Volunteer Week. In Gilmore we have hundreds of volunteer organisations. They are the mainstay of our community. Our State Emergency Service, Rural Fire Service, Marine Rescue, St John Ambulance and Surf Life Saving are well represented and do a magnificent job.

In the last major Gilmore bushfires it was an absolute honour to work alongside the catering brigade, preparing food for the firefighters. These girls stand for hours cutting, chopping and stirring. They are all grandmothers. What a crew under the leadership of Donna and Ingrid!

Many of our local festivals and sporting carnivals simply would not happen if St John volunteers were absent. We could not swim at our beaches without the patrols of the Surf Life Saving clubs. We have groups likes Zonta, Lions and Rotary giving their time for fundraising, making birth kits and assisting local disability schools. We have several hospital auxiliaries, CWAs and VIEW Clubs. They are all volunteers setting goals and achieving them for their community. We have volunteers like Jenny Baker running Australia's Biggest Morning Tea from her home. Others like Denyse Davey are pivotal in breast cancer support. Some work with children, helping Andrew and Rebecca at the PCYC, or assist with school breakfast programs.

At the Bomaderry Uniting Church, the Nowra Family Support Service coordinates learning and reading activities with volunteers. They recently held a families week celebration with a sausage sizzle, companion sheep that were brought by Michael and Robyn, and their federal member face painting the children. I express the community's deep gratitude and thank each and every Gilmore volunteer for their amazing efforts.