Gesture: Eddie Walpole prepares to set out on another mission for St Vincent de Paul Society.
ERIN PEARSON
AT 71 years of age, Corio’s Eddie Walpole still manages weekly tai chi and Egyptology studies.
But he considers his 34 years as a St Vincent de Paul Society volunteer as his proudest achievement.
Eddie said adults he helped as children often approached him while shopping.
“It’s surprising how many young children I see now grown up who still say ‘Hello, Eddie’,” he laughed.
“We do more than just help people. When I visit I become part of the family, so we have a very big family now.”
Eddie credited his parents with instilling “goodness” in him.
“When the chance to volunteer with St Vincent de Paul alongside my wife came up I thought it would be a great gesture.
“To see the happiness in people’s face when we visit, even to just say hello, feels wonderful. We get as much if not more out of it as they do.”
Eddie will join other St Vincent de Paul stalwarts on Sunday to officially acknowledge members and volunteers for their hours of sacrifice helping the needy.
St Vincent regional council president Peter Chiang said the society had about 400 volunteers from Winchelsea to Lara and along the coast.
This year alone they undertook around 5500 home visits, he said.
“[They’ve] reached out hands of friendship to anyone who has no one else to turn to, providing emergency assistance in finance, food, referrals, accommodation, companionship and, most of all, emotional support.
“Many have done so at great personal financial and emotional expense.”
Mr Chiang said the volunteers’ generosity had “amazed” him during his 13 years in Geelong.
“We had one man who visited Geelong Hospital for 35 years every week to see patients who didn’t have family,” Mr Chiang said.
“If he saw someone who was alone next to a patient with lots of flowers and visitors he’d go and buy them flowers out of his own pocket.
“That really touched me.”
Mr Chiang encouraged prospective volunteers to contact St Vincent de Paul’s Geelong office.
