By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
STEPH Shave’s memory of her late and loving father is of a selfless man who went out of his way to help others.
After Michael passed from a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer in 2011, Steph wanted to honour her father’s memory by walking in his caring shadow.
And soon she joined the Casey Young Vinnies youth initiative.
“He was very charity oriented, he had a heart of gold,” Steph said, remembering her father.
“If there was someone who appealed about something, someone who was involved in a charity, he always wanted to sponsor that or be a part of it.
“I guess that’s where it came from for me.”
Through her church, St Michael’s, 22-year-old Steph joined the Casey Young Vinnies program – part of the St Vincent de Paul Society. Casey Young Vinnies is a youth initiative made up of 12 youth leaders from the municipality who pair with underprivileged children aged 6 to 12 and participate in a range of events and excursions with them.
“I googled volunteering positions for youths and found Young Vinnies, which operates out of the church I attend – it’s tied hand in hand,” she said.
Steph said she had been a passionate member of the group for the last three years.
“I absolutely love it. You can’t really explain the feeling you get from helping these kids,” she said.
“Families actually come to St Vincent de Paul’s prior to knowing about our group and the bigger body, St Vincent, will see if the kids want to be part of our program and the families are often very receptive.”
Casey Young Vinnies is now one of 10 volunteering organisations selected from across Victoria to participate in the ‘Imagine the possibilities’ campaign, launched by Volunteering Victoria this year.
The campaign, which will be rolled out in 10 selected communities, aims to raise awareness of the value that volunteering delivers in the community and the different ways in which one can engage in volunteering.
Steph said without the help of St Vincent de Paul’s, the Casey Young Vinnies program wouldn’t be able to operate as it did, helping as many of the underprivileged youth in the region as possible.
For more information, visit www.volunteeringvictoria.org.au.
