I have found over many years, having worked with Independent Living, Kidney Health and volunteering, that people don't have knowledge about what services are out there.
You know, I've never really thought about making an impact.
I do know though that everyone who knows me on the Sunshine Coast would say that I'm great at connecting services with services and people with services.
If they have an issue with no matter which area it is within the community sector, then I would be able to direct them in the area they need to or who to contact.
During my day. I could be connecting with someone like the Sunshine Coast University Hospital or I could be dealing with Caloundra Hospital.
It could be that I'm dealing with Noosa seniors or the disability sector, or it could be around healthy ageing.
I deal also with 7 universities across Australia in relation to quite a huge project around having a community hub which has information that people can access.
Not everyone can afford computers or afford to have smartphones, so we need to be thinking of people that are not able to afford computers or to go online and ensure that we're giving information.
So that's probably just a little insight into some of the areas that I'm involved in. I've actually been volunteering since I was 20 years of age, which I find incredibly rewarding, and I would just like to encourage everyone out there to volunteer.
You actually gained so much personally, emotionally, being able to help others.
Cheryl Harris has been instrumental in driving volunteer engagement and championing the important work that volunteers perform on the Sunshine Coast.
Cheryl’s passion for helping community began when she was just 20 years old. Her advocacy and strong relationships throughout the Sunshine Coast community has seen volunteering in the region increase significantly. Today, thousands of volunteers actively support the Sunshine Coast community in various roles from charity work to disaster relief. As former CEO at Volunteering Sunshine Coast, Cheryl and her team collaborated with her community networks to initiate the innovative Pathways to Employment program, which helps people seeking paid employment to update their skills and build self-esteem through volunteering.
Cheryl is the current chair/president of Healthy Ageing Partnerships, which aims to empower older Australians to make informed decisions about their health through knowledge sharing.
Cheryl’s contribution to community service highlights her selfless dedication to helping others in a manner that is always compassionate, informed and caring.
Learn more about positive ageing at health.gov.au/positive-ageing