Lots of us are volunteers - our community couldn't keep going if we weren't. Each year the contribution of volunteers is recognised and celebrated during
National Volunteers Week, to be held this year from
9 - 15 May 2011. Visit the NVW website to find out about activities all around Australia.
Find out about volunteer opportunities in South Australia from these organisations:
Office for Volunteers is a state government agency that provides advice to Government for the development of policies to develop and support the South Australian volunteer sector. OfV has an informative website with information and resources on many aspects of volunteering. Go to the section on
Becoming a volunteer to find plenty of options for ways to get involved.
Volunteering SA & NT is the peak body representing the interests of volunteers and the volunteering sector in South Australia and Northern Territory. VSA&NT provides resources, information, training and ongoing professional development for volunteer managers as well as information for current and propective volunteers. If you are looking for a volunteer position you can access their
database of available positions. VSA&NT are
giving away some great prizes during National Volunteer Week.
There are so many organisations that need and welcome volunteers - we can't possibly start to list them here! But if you're interested in finding out more the links here should help you to get started.
You can also find volunteer opportunities around Australia with
Go Volunteer or overseas with
Australian Volunteers International.
GP Plus Elizabeth - a new GP Plus Health Care Centre has opened at 16 Playford Boulevard, Elizabeth 5112, tel. 7425 7500. The centre provides a range of health care services to meet the needs of children and families, young people, older people and people with or at risk of chronic health conditions. Services include nutrition advice from a dietitian, Diabetes Type 2 education, healthy lifestyle support, podiatry and support for chronic condition self-management.
Family by Family is a new program developed by
The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI). It pairs struggling families with those who have gone through hard times so that they can support and learn from each other. See more in this
short video.
Families SA can help people who want to know more about becoming a foster carer in SA. Call 1300 2 FOSTER (or 1300 2 367837) or visit
www.fostercare.sa.gov.au for more information.
Walk Safely to School Day 20 May 2011 encourages primary school children to walk to school. It is an annual community event that promotes road safety, health, public transport and the environment.
Take A Breather Charity Challenge - a chance for fun and adventure by rogaining in the outdoors on Saturday 18 June 2011.This event is a fundraiser for
Asthma Foundation SA. Get a team together of 2–5 people and join in!
South Australia's History Festival, About Time, takes place from 1 - 31 May 2011. There are events taking place all over the state, organised by community museums, historical societies, cultural and community groups, businesses, service groups, churches, libraries, local government and state government agencies. Look for the program with the bright yellow cover -
www.abouttime.sa.gov.au
Amistad Radio is a weekly Latin American
Radio Adelaide program, broadcast from 2pm-3pm each Sunday on 101.5FM . Check the
Radio Adelaide program guide - there are many cultural groups presenting regular shows including Afghan, Chinese, Persian, Polish, Nepali Bhutanese, Nunga, Serbia and Montenegro.
Eat Grow Share Connect
Every month, SAcommunity highlights the work of a community organisation that's listed in our directory. This month we'd like to present the Mount Pleasant Natural Resource Centre Inc., a non profit hub that promotes sustainable living and meaningful environmental connection.
The centre has recently started a community fruit and veg swap that is held fortnightly on Sundays from 9am - 12 noon. For more information
check out this blog.
This month's recipe comes from Bev, a member of the Community Fruit & Veg Swap at Mount Pleasant Natural Resource Centre
BASIL PESTO
Ingredients
200g pine nuts
100g flaked almonds
6-8 garlic cloves
2 cups basil leaves
1 cup parsley leaves
150 g parmesan cheese
Method
Toast the pine nuts and the flaked almonds lightly in a dry frying pan, then whiz them in the blender until coarsely chopped, add the garlic, basil, parsley and the parmesan cheese. Pulse the blender a few times to chop and combine everything, then with the blender running on low speed, pour in a slow steady stream of good olive oil until the pesto reaches the consistency that you like. Vary the proportions to your taste. Serve with pasta.
