By Callum Ludwig
Standout volunteers from the Valley received Volunteer Awards at the Casey Community and Volunteer Awards.
Catherine Nolan said a friend of hers had nominated her for her work in organising a variety of festivals and community choirs in the region.
“I think it’s important to volunteer and give back to your community, utilising the skills we have to share with others which can enhance the health and well-being of community members,” she said.
Singing has been proven to increase oxygen throughout the blood stream by increasing breathing, helps open up neurological pathways in the brain and helps produce endorphins, the happy hormone, singing helps people feel connected and uplifted,”
“It’s about creating a forum for people to be creative and write their own poems, stories and songs encourages self expression which enhances people’s sense of self worth and helps develop and sense of belonging to their local community.”
Ms Nolan’s efforts include:
The Yinga Choir project and Concert which included adults and local Primary School children held at the Memo in Healesville during the International Year of First Nation’s Languages
Singing For Your Soul’s Sake which ran in Healesville, Yarra Junction and Ringwood, from 1990 encouraging people to find their voice
Soulsville which is an all-inclusive, yearly, eight-week project and performance of a one-hour gospel-style concert including experienced and non-experienced singers and musicians coordinated in Healesville since 2015
Writers&Rhythm which she has been involved in since 1992, a night of celebrating local writers and musicians from Healesville and surrounding townships
The Connecting Community Festival which Ms Nolan coordinated in March this year in Healesville which was well attended and included many community groups and organisations.
Henry Verhoeven has been involved in community efforts throughout Steels Creek and Yarra Glen and said he just did it because he loved every aspect of his multi-faceted volunteering.
“Steels Creek was our life, any of us shifted in during the 1980s and the social life nearly always included everyone, the effects of the 2009 bushfire killed 11 neighbours and raised many houses and many new families shifted into the district,” he said.
“They mostly are both working to pay the mortgage and as such don’t have the inclination to volunteer or socialise because of their children’s commitments but volunteering is part of the social life of any community.”
Now living in Mooroolbark and occasionally volunteering at the Mooroolbark Community Garden, Mr Verhoeven left no stone unturned before departing the Valley.
His volunteer efforts have helped the Yarra Glen & District Men’s Shed, Steels Creek Tennis Courts, Yarra Glen Guides Hall, building the Dixons Creek Landcare storage garage, the Yarra Glen Railway Station restoration, Gulf Station, the former Steels Creek Primary School, the Fireguard Group, BlazeAid and HICCI before medical issues slowed him down somewhat and led to the decision to downsize.
Monica Rotinger from the Yarra Glen Op Shop, Healesville/Yarra Glen community stalwarts Marie and Mario Campitelli and Peter Brown from the Healesville Tennis Club also received Volunteer Awards.
