Volunteers at ‘lowest’ for children’s charity

Kim Waters
A national charity putting smiles on the faces of dying and seriously ill children is struggling with a plunge in volunteers around the Geelong region.
Starlight Children’s Foundation revealed a record low in Geelong volunteers as the organisation issued a national call for help.
The shortfall has left Starlight unable to meet demand from sick and injured children for its spirit-lifting activities and entertainment.
Starlight chief executive officer Lousie Baxter said the foundation was unable to cope with the 600,000 annual child admissions to Australian hospitals.
“Starlight is currently only able to reach one in three of these kids,” Ms Baxter said.
“Starlight’s programs are an integral part of the total pediatric care for seriously ill children.”
Foundation volunteer Chris Hall, of Leopold, said organisers of an annual Starlight Day fundraising event were desperate for more community help.
“People think that committing to volunteer means spending hours every week helping out but it’s not like that,” Mr Hall said.
Mr Hall said the care and support he had received as a child encouraged him to “give back”.
“When kids go through a trauma at such a young age its really important to keep their spirits up.
“Even two hours of volunteering in one day can help change a sick kid’s life.”
Mr Hall said Starlight needed 7000 volunteers to collect donations and sell merchandise between next Thursday and May 9.
More information was available by phoning 1300 727 827 or visiting www.starlight.org.au, he said.
The Independent is a supporter of Starlight Children’s Foundation.