Volunteer
Be the Reason Someone Starts Again
Whether it's rebuilding a fence, clearing debris, helping a family recover, lending a hand to a farmer or supporting a community after a disaster... ordinary people become extraordinary volunteers.
Why People Volunteer
People volunteer for many reasons.
To give back. To meet people. To pay it forward. To support communities. To use their skills. To learn new ones. To make a difference.
Whatever brings you here... we'll welcome you.
There's a Place for Everyone
What You'll Actually Do
What a Deployment Feels Like
Meet Our Typical Volunteers
Volunteer Pathways
Volunteering FAQs
No experience is required to volunteer with us - there are roles suitable for anyone.
Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills and gain new experiences that you can carry into life.
Of course, if you have skills and experience, particularly in trades and cooking, we value your contribution to assist people and communities and to teach others.
Yes, of course. You're welcome to volunteer for a day, a weekend, a week or more. We even have volunteers stay with us for months at a time.
Absolutely. In fact, this is a great way for a family to bond and experience something different. It's also a great way to teach younger family members to be involved with the community.
Yes. We have many retirees volunteering. It's actually a great way to make new friends and give back to the community. It's also a great way to share your skills and teach others.
We go where we're needed.
When we're needed, we'll post where our camps are being established.
Check our "Current Recovery Camps" page to see where we're at now.
You can also register as a future volunteer, and we'll reach out.
For insurance reasons, we can only allow volunteers over the age of thirteen (13). All volunteers under the age of eighteen (18) must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible person. There is no upper age limit; however, it's important to be mindful of the type of work to be done and the need to comply with direction and instruction from a Coordinator.
Whilst working on an approved project/site, you are covered by our insurance. Volunteers are NOT covered when working on a project/site not authorised by us.
Suppose a volunteer wishes to perform work outside of our approved work sites. In that case, they are advised to seek their own insurance, or ensure they are covered with a property owner's policy - we will not be liable or responsible for any injury/accident that occurs outside of our approved sites or authorised volunteer working times.
In the event of an accident or injury, or a personal medical episode, we advise that volunteers should seek their own ambulance cover prior to volunteering.
If a volunteer is from abroad (for example, an international backpacker), it is strongly recommended that you consult with your travel insurer to ensure ambulance cover.
Though not mandatory, it is recommended that volunteers be vaccinated.
If a volunteer suspects the onset of COVID, they can consult with the Coordinator, who will have RATs available.
If COVID is confirmed, due to our organisation's duty to protect our troops and the 'workplace', we may redeploy you into another role.
We will encourage using a mask, distancing, and a volunteer choosing to isolate for a period.
Each situation will be determined on its own merits.
We will support our troops as best we can.
Some of the work we do involves clearing debris, so it is recommended that your Tetanus injections be up to date.
There can be work in affected areas that attract mosquitoes, so it is recommended that you protect yourself from any bites or infection.
We work up to seven (7) days a week, including sometimes on public holidays.
No volunteer is permitted to work more than six (6) consecutive days - they must have a day off within a seven (7) day period.
There is no minimum number of days a volunteer must commit to - we have volunteers for two days and others for months on end.
For volunteers who are working holiday makers/backpackers, many of our deployments can offer the required 88 days needed to qualify for a visa extension.
While volunteering with us at a registered camp, we will provide all main meals.
Whilst we attempt to address special dietary requirements, this is not always possible. If you have a special diet or have allergies/intolerances, please raise this with a Coordinator before attending any camp.
We work hard to arrange camp facilities with space for caravans, motorhomes, and tents. Toilet and shower facilities are provided.
Sometimes, we arrange residential and/or motel-style accommodation for volunteers.
We also have opportunities for volunteers to stay on farms, where prior arranged.
If you require accommodation, please let a coordinator know.
We provide all personal protective equipment (PPE), with the exception of safety boots. Please ensure you have suitable steel-toed boots.
All volunteers are overseen by a competent and trained Coordinator. Any specific matters should be raised with the respective Coordinator.
Our camps and projects are overseen by dedicated Coordinators.
Each Coordinator runs the camp and the work projects in their own way, but under the organisational models.
If you've volunteered previously, you can expect that your experiences between Coordinators may be different.
We request that you respect differences in independent and unique coordinating.
If you have pets, we prefer that they be left with a responsible friend or family member and not taken to camps. If this is not possible, speak with the Coordinator in advance to determine suitability.
Pets are NOT permitted on properties we work on.
Our organisation will not be responsible for any pets, their welfare, or emergency (attack, snake bite etc).
Some disasters are not only traumatic to those directly affected by disasters, but also to volunteers.
Respect and care for all is expected.
We know the importance of mental health and can offer psychological and counselling sessions to volunteers through our partner network. Please speak with a Coordinator if you would like further information.
We value our volunteers, supporters and those we help highly. As such, we've created a Behaviour Charter (a code of conduct) that we go through in great detail upon registration at our camps and/or project sites.
We have zero tolerance for verbal and physical abuse, illegal behaviour, drug use, and discrimination.
If a volunteer is found to have breached our Behaviour Charter, they will be removed from a project and/or camp.
We're proud to be a stand-out organisation in relation to our "respect for all" approach.
Your Journey Starts Here
Join our growing team of people making a real difference.