Press Releases

A huge congratulations to our Belonging to Family program volunteer Elders who have been awarded The Centre for Volunteering regional volunteer team of the year, 2025!

Members from the group were presented with a certificate at a local ceremony on Friday, the 22nd of August, and will be travelling to the State Gala in Sydney this December.

This is well deserved, and it’s SHINE for Kids’ honour to be working with this group of volunteers.

Our Belonging to Family Program Manager, Barbara Cohen, has written the below message of thanks:

On behalf of SFK, I want to acknowledge and honour our incredible Elders who form the heart and soul of the BTF Program.

This program is deeply grounded in Culture, and it’s through our Elders that its true strength is brought to life. They carry with them the wisdom, stories, and spirit of our communities – and they bring that into spaces where it’s needed most: into prisons, into juvenile detention centres, and into the lives of men, women, and young people who are seeking guidance, healing, and hope. Every single one of our Elders is unique.

They give of themselves wholeheartedly, showing up with compassion, integrity, and deep cultural knowledge. They go above and beyond—not because they have to, but because they love what they do. And it shows in the way they connect, uplift, and restore. We cannot commend them enough.

Their contribution goes far beyond volunteering—they are restoring Culture, dignity, and humanity where it’s been lost or taken. We are honoured to walk alongside them.

Thank you to each of our Elders. This recognition is a testament to the powerful work you do, and the lives you continue to change.