By Wendy Williamson
A good deed can be as simple as a friendly smile or a chat with a lonely neighbour.
So says Robyn Davey.
The long-time Yarra Glen volunteer believes that if you do something for somebody, chances are they will in turn be nice to someone else.
You would be hard pressed to find a more giving person than Mrs Davey.
She has volunteered at the Yarra Glen Op Shop for 30 years.
She also helps out at her local Uniting Church, where she is treasurer.
She is a backbone of the church’s community dinner program, which sees the church hall open each Sunday night for anyone who wants to come along for a meal.
Over the years she has cooked and delivered countless meals, driven people to appointments and babysat for local families.
Mrs Davey’s efforts are all the more admirable because she is also a full-time carer for her husband, Chris, who has Parkinson’s disease.
All that volunteering has now been acknowledged with Mrs Davey named as one of five finalists among thousands of nominations in the Power of the Country awards.
Electricity distribution company Powercor organises the awards in partnership with Geelong and Essendon football clubs to acknowledge the selfless work individuals do for their community.
Mrs Davey said she couldn’t believe it when she heard she had been nominated, let alone that she was a finalist. “There must be people more deserving,” she said.
Accompanied by Chris, she was given VIP treatment at the AFL Country Festival match at the MCG on 19 May, where the winner was announced as foster carer Elly Clark of Carisbrook.
When to her surprise and joy, Mrs Davey was announced as the runner-up, she was characteristically modest.
“I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do without the backing of a wonderful husband,” she said.
