At this time of year, we come together to recognise and celebrate our wonderful volunteers for all the ways they contribute to SHINE for Kids.
To mark National Volunteer Week, we are putting some of our many incredible volunteers in the spotlight, please meet …. Debbie!
How long have you been volunteering with SHINE for Kids?
I started volunteering with SHINE for Kids in early 2021.
My role is to mentor students within an educational setting.
What inspired you to apply to volunteer with SHINE for Kids?
I have a background in psychology and have always enjoyed working with children and within educational settings.
Helping children to feel supported and empowered is rewarding and so when I saw this opportunity with SHINE for Kids I felt that it was a perfect fit for me.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering?
Volunteering with SHINE for Kids has been great. I love the nature of the volunteering I do. Seeing how enthusiastic the kids are to come to a mentoring session is incredibly rewarding.
I love seeing the children try new activities and seeing how proud they are of their work we do in the sessions. On several occasions I have had mentees ask if they can take their work back to class to show the rest of their peers and teachers.
In addition, the support I receive from the SHINE for Kids team, as well as opportunities to further my learning through webinars and team meetings, is incredible.
I always feel I have someone I can call to discuss any issues or queries.
What impact do you think you have made?
I always try to make our sessions as enjoyable as possible for each child.
This means the sessions are something for the kids to look forward to and consequently they want to come to school.
I hope this helps not only the child, but also the family, and makes everyone’s day a little bit brighter.
What has been your most memorable moment?
My most rewarding moments have been when a teacher tells me how the mentee has been asking all week when our session will be.
Also I love it when the children tell me that our sessions are their favourite part of the week!
While you’re here, we need your help. Our amazing volunteers can only do so much, we also rely on the support and kind donations of the community to continue to run our many programs across NSW, Vic, WA, Qld and the ACT.
It’s only with continued support that we can be there to reach out to and walk beside children and families as they navigate one of the toughest times in their lives. We are changing futures, one child at a time. Evey bit counts. Please donate today. Thank you!
Aidan* is a First Nations young person and was referred to SFK Mentoring when he was 12 years old after his dad was incarcerated. Like many children in the program who have […]
This Christmas mums in custody and their children at home will still be connected by these beautiful baubles with messages of love they created for each other. Children will have a little […]
The energy was great as families arrived for our Child & Parent Day with their mums at Silverwater Correctional Centre. As the children came into the centre and went through the security […]
Luka*, 14, is in our SFK Mentoring program and finds going to school hard sometimes; he’s been bullied and has become withdrawn. He’s faced a lot of hardship in his short […]
Raymond*, an upbeat 14-year-old boy, and his twin sisters, Megan* and Alix*, 17, have been through some tough times but are working hard to get things back on track with the support […]
There was a real sense of achievement in the room on the day 10 mums in custody at Dillwynia Correctional Centre graduated after completing our Bringing Up Great Kids program over six […]
A group of excited children from our Rise school mentoring program had THE BEST time at the ‘World Festival of Magic’ show! Rise on the Central Coast was lucky to receive free […]
A group of nine excited children joined their Rise mentors and the SHINE for Kids team for a sunny day of fun and games at the local park. The day was all […]
Malakai* is a bright young Aboriginal teenager and was referred to the Stand As One Mentoring Program in early 2023. Spending most of his early life living with his mother and younger […]
Children with a parent in custody too often feel isolated. Embarrassed or worried about talking about what they are going through, children will often withdraw from their school friends and communities. This […]
Sometimes the little acts show our team how much their support is helping. Bernie* is six years old and has had a rough start to the year. Her dad was taken into […]
Our Cessnock Child & Family Centre is always buzzing with activity! On the weekend, families visit their loved ones in custody at the nearby Hunter, Cessnock and Shortland Correctional Centres and pop […]
Elders who work with our Belonging to Family program in Kempsey and our team celebrated the week across the whole state this year! Belonging to Family is an intensive, culturally appropriate […]
With families struggling as groceries become more expensive, our Cessnock Child & Family Centre is very grateful for its long-standing partnership with local community service SOUPZ ON. Families dropping into our Cessnock […]
Ivan* is a dad in custody. Despite coming up against obstacles, including being transferred twice, he had his heart set on completing a SHINE for Kids Storytime recording for his young daughter […]
Our youth justice mentoring program pairs a young person in custody, soon to be released, with a dedicated mentor to support their journey and create new hope for their future. One of […]
Rise in Western Sydney is off to a wonderful first half of the year! We are so pleased with the achievements of all of our kids. Here’s just one of the many […]
The feeling that no one understands what they’re going through comes up time and time again with the kids and teenagers we work with. So opportunities for them to meet others in […]
This National Volunteer Week (NVW), we are SHINEing a light on a few of the amazing volunteers working with us to make positive change in young people’s lives in keeping with this […]
Keiran*, one of our youngest Rise mentees in Year 1, is bright and confident and loves school! His mentor knew that with Mother’s Day approaching, Keiran might feel a little sad as […]
Our Playgroup program, Stay Together, Play Together, plays a vital role in keeping mums connected with their kids and improving outcomes and well-being for young children. SHINE for Kids staff member Summa […]
Excited kids received a surprise this year after our South Coast Correctional Centre craft session allowed dads to make gifts and let their kids know they are thinking of them. “We received […]
Our first Child & Parent Days at Alexander Maconochie Centre since the pandemic were a resounding success as children from all over the state enjoyed precious time with their mums and dads […]
“I have always hoped and prayed my son would connect to his Culture through dance.” Five of the young people from our Stand As One mentoring program recently took part in a […]
A group of VERY excited children of all ages hugged their dads, some for the first time in years, at our Macquarie Correctional Centre Child & Parent Day. These special days are […]
The dads who take part in our Storytime program at Clarence Correctional Centre surprised themselves with how much they loved making these colourful placemats for their children in our Christmas craft workshop! […]
Mum Becky* has completed our Keeping Us Together program at Dillwynia Correctional Centre. Here she reflects on what she’s gained from the program and the future she wants to build for her […]
In 2022, our SHINE for Kids school Mentoring Program was launched on the Central Coast to support local kids facing the hardship of having a parent in custody. Our team has been […]
The mums at Clarence Correctional Centre were thrilled to hear that our Storytime program this month would include a special Christmas craft workshop! The workshop gave mums the opportunity to create handmade […]
A group of very calm SHINE kids in Victoria have taken part in our first Wellness Day, learning techniques to help them manage stress and anxiety. Everyone sometimes feels overwhelmed, especially children, […]
Every weekend, Ben*, 12, Sharee*, 10* and Len*, 7, travel with their mum to Bathurst from Sydney to visit dad in custody at Bathurst Correctional Centre. The family have a strong connection […]
Diana*, a mum in custody at Dillwynia Correctional Centre in Sydney, wants nothing more than to do everyday mum things again with her two children. At our recent Child & Parent Day, […]
The first group of dads in custody at Acacia Prison in Perth, WA has graduated from Storytime! SHINE for Kids’ Zoe said that the WA team met “some fabulous dads who love […]
We recently supported one of our mums in custody at Clarence during her first visit in 13 months with her son and daughter. The occasion was even more special because it was […]
To mark International Volunteer Day 2022, we spoke with Rachel, one of our wonderful volunteer mentors working with a young person in juvenile justice in Western Sydney. Rachel has been a volunteer […]
Our kids in Melbourne had an amazing experience thanks to the team at Deloitte Digital who volunteered their time to help us deliver our first Technology Day! A group of very excited […]
At the Helana Jones Centre in Brisbane, our mums and bubs celebrated Diwali during playgroup with some Rangoli-inspired art! Diwali, also known as the ‘festival of light’, celebrates the triumph of light […]
By staff member Abbey Kenaly Over the past six weeks, seven mums have been participating in Keeping Us Together at Dillwynia Correctional Complex. The most rewarding part of facilitating Keeping Us Together is seeing the […]
Our mentoring team in Frankston, Victoria have reported some big wins for their kids this past year! While the team say all of the kids in Victoria have shown admirable growth, they […]
Every week our Clarence Valley RISE team makes a special trip. They load up the car with activities and worksheets and drive about 75 km northwest of Grafton to visit Baryulgil, a […]
Over the school holidays, SHINE for Kids teams across the country held special RISE Together Days for children in the program. The days were an opportunity for kids to meet others going […]
Over the school holidays, SHINE for Kids teams across the country held special RISE Together Days for children in the program. The days were an opportunity for kids to meet others going […]
Over the school holidays, SHINE for Kids teams across the country held special RISE Together Days for children in the program. The days were an opportunity for kids to meet others going […]
In 2022, SHINE for Kids in partnership with CONFIT, launched our mentoring program for young people in juvenile justice at Cobham Correctional Centre in Sydney. While there have been challenges, we’re really […]
Our RISE Clarence Coordinator has been connecting with incredibly resilient children and their families across the Clarence Valley. One of these students is Adam*, who is 9 years old. Adam was referred […]
Our team in Queensland have been supporting this dad to connect with his newborn daughter. As he says, the support has completely changed his family’s life. Thank you to this father for […]
Charlie* is in custody at Parklea and is dearly missing his 4-year-old daughter Amelia*. Before he was incarcerated, Amelia and Charlie would read together every night at bedtime. He approached SHINE for […]
By our Windsor Child and Family Worker I’ve worked with a family with mum in custody at Dillwynia for over two years. When I first met the family, the children were six […]
During the week of the 15th-21st of May, we celebrated National Families Week with our children and families. One way of connecting with families was through a drawing competition and the winner would […]
Aaron*, a dad in custody at Parklea, recently approached us about our Storytime program. He has a four year old daughter Chloe* who he hadn’t seen face to face for over two […]
Mason* has spent most of his teenage years going between out-of-home care and custody. He’s no longer in contact with his family and finds it difficult to maintain positive relationships. Mason was […]
One of our wonderful long time volunteers Dennis recently reached out to us to pass on some lovely news. He and his wife had just attended the graduation of a young woman […]
National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering. This year’s theme is ‘Better Together’, and appropriately so, as together we accomplish so much more. At this time of year, we […]
National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering. This year’s theme is ‘Better Together’, and appropriately so, as together we accomplish so much more. At this time of year, we […]
National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering. This year’s theme is ‘Better Together’, and appropriately so, as together we accomplish so much more. At this time of year, we […]
National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering. This year’s theme is ‘Better Together’, and appropriately so, as together we accomplish so much more. At this time of year, we […]
This month our teams have been connecting with families and seeing how they’re doing and what their needs might be while also letting them know that their Family Connection Packs are on […]
Some special Easter deliveries were made to excited children over the long weekend this Easter! The men at Macquarie Correctional Centre recently participated in a special craft workshop as a way to […]
To celebrate National Youth Week at SHINE, we are sharing the voice and experience of a young person we supported through our mentoring program Stand As One. This is his story. “When […]
Our new Birthday Program is in full swing as our teams purchase specially requested gifts on behalf of a parent in custody, pack and deliver them to many happy children! So far, […]
Recently one of our fabulous citizen fundraisers Ryan got together a group of Bathurst rugby playing friends and acquaintances for a fun day and a good cause to play in the Annual […]
Sierra has two daughters, aged 12 and 9, and when she went into custody a few years ago it was the first time in their lives they’d been separated from her. It […]
“Days like today are tiring but boy are they worth it. I travelled to the outing with a car full of silent children, the return trip was anything but silent.” – Priscilla, […]
“I made gifts for my four children for Christmas because I wouldn’t have gifts for them any other way.” – Mum from Broken Hill Correctional Centre Just before Christmas our crafting expert […]
By a SHINE team member I met Marty*, a dad in custody, one day at the Parklea complex while I was collecting referrals. He asked about our Storytime program and what was […]
Sam, a young Aboriginal boy in the Stand As One mentoring program, was just 15 when he went into custody at Frank Baxter Youth Justice Centre. Sam was the youngest person at […]
This April in Victoria, after a year of restricted access due to COVID, the SHINE for Kids team arranged a very important Ride By Your Side visit for two brave little girls, […]
Wow. Our Victorian team have been blown away by the incredible donation of Christmas gifts from The Sixth Child and Creating the Magic! Last year, thanks to The Sixth Child, we gave […]
Timothy had been in custody at Clarence Correctional Centre for eight months when he joined the Storytime program. It was his first time in custody and he was really struggling with missing […]
The day before the ACT went into lockdown, our team sat down with dad Fred* to complete a Storytime recording for his youngest child. Fred is working to improve his literacy skills, […]
Aaron is three years old and attends the SHINE for Kids playgroup every week with his mum Carly. They live together at Numinbah Correctional Centre while Carly is in custody. Carly approached […]
Meg and her 4 year old son Sam live in Werrington in western Sydney. The family first started engaging with SHINE for Kids through the Parklea Child and Family Centre as Sam’s […]
Jason was transferred to Clarence Correctional Centre as soon as it opened in July 2020. Unfortunately his wife is also incarcerated and her parents have custody of their two young children and […]
Eight months ago, Tracey was referred to SHINE for Kids and began attending our weekly playgroups so that she and her two year old daughter Millie could reconnect. Millie had been in […]
Mia, Declan and Timmy have been living with their grandmother since their dad was incarcerated four years ago. Their mum was also sent into custody two years after dad while she was […]
Every week Tamara spends an hour at school one-on-one with her RISE mentor. They work through any issues Tamara is having with her schoolwork, maths in particular has been a focus, and […]
When Henry came to Storytime he was full of excitement and said he already knew the book he wanted to make for his daughter Alana. It had been forming in his head […]
Robyn and her four children have been working with SHINE for several years but this year was a special one as they prepare for dad to return home in February 2022 after […]
Nine year old Dominque moved in to live with her grandparents two years ago following her dad’s incarceration. While she was able to make friends at her new primary school, she appeared […]
James was set on making a fresh start at being a parent when he signed up for Keeping Us Together and Storytime at Parklea Correctional Centre. He had been in and out of […]
This year the Belonging to Family team at Kempsey have had a homecoming of sorts with the return of Karen Rhodes. Karen was one of the original creators of the Belonging to […]
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