By CASEY NEILL
VOLUNTEERING has always come naturally to Frank Silvera.
The 92-year-old from Dandenong North had been visiting Kathleen Brown at aged care centre Outlook Gardens each fortnight for the past 10 years.
They’d matched through Keysborough Learning Centre’s (KLC) community visitors scheme.
Mr Silvera said Ms Brown kept to herself but “didn’t mind me coming and talking to her”.
“She was from India. I was able to talk to her a lot about the area where she lived in Bombay,” he said.
“My sister was working for the government telegraphs and her father was the manager.
“It was a strange coincidence – I had to come here to meet her!”
He only retired from the program this past year, due to declining health.
“I enjoyed her company,” he said.
“When I’d enter the place, she’d say ‘what have you to tell me today about life in Bombay?’”
Mr Silvera moved to Australia from India 26 years ago and spent time in Brisbane before settling in Melbourne.
He soon became involved with Cooinda Centre, which was established in Dandenong and moved to Springvale South.
“I was one of the first volunteers to join the Cooinda group,” he said.
Three years ago, after 12 years as a volunteer he switched places.
“I’m not a volunteer anymore. I’m a client,” he said.
“I go to the Monday group which is for Indian, Asian, Sri Lankan and Australian.”
Daughter Belinda Luis said her father had been an amazing inspiration.
“I’ve picked a lot of dad’s habits of sharing and caring for other people,” she said.
“Volunteer work comes to us easily.
“I volunteer feeding the homeless. My kids are doing it now as well.
“It just becomes, I think, a cycle.
“When we were young kids growing up, Dad would come home from his day job, be at home a little while and then he’d go to meetings.
“It never stopped. It was like a second job to him.”
Community visitors scheme co-ordinator Jo Storm said the program was less about doing things for people and more about helping them to do things for themselves.
“Volunteers play a fantastic role by being beside residents, taking them out in the community, chatting with them, driving them to places they would not otherwise get to,” she said.
Eight new volunteers joined the team during the past financial year and five moved on.
“We have 28 volunteers visiting residents on a regular basis, some visit two or more residents at different aged care facilities,” Ms Storm said.
“We have 10 different nationalities represented in our volunteers. This has been a wonderful asset, as some residents have not been able to have a proper conversation in their native language in years.”
Call KLC on 9798 7005 for more information about the community visitors scheme or to get involved.
