By Sahar Foladi
During a time where volunteering has decreased, Julie Klok set a great example of what it means to be a volunteer.
Ms Klok won the Volunteer of the Year award at Greater Dandenong’s Australia Day awards in front of a proud community and her family.
She migrated from the UK in 1962 with her family, studied in Frankston and later moved to Langwarrin after her marriage.
Now she lives and works in the City of Greater Dandenong for over 20 years.
“My 96 year old mother in law, my sister in law and my husband attended the presentation and everyone has been very kind and very proud giving me lovely feedback,” Ms Klok said.
Since she has moved here Ms Klok has been part of different organisations and communities dedicating her time to make positive changes to the community.
“I’ve worked full time for 30 or 40 years and then I’m what we call retired but I prefer to call it, I’ve stopped paid work and I wanted to do something to keep myself occupied and interested I like challenges,” Ms Klok said.
She’s a member on board for Council’s positive ageing advisory committee-giving advice to council on support services for older people in the community as well as volunteering with Dandenong Library home library service, delivering books to residents who’re house bound, Melbourne tourism and Groomed to go.
“I enjoy new challenges I get that satisfaction but I’m also contributing something positive for other people.
I do like getting to know other people, it gives me a feeling of connection with the community it’s something important to me,” Ms Klok said.
Her volunteering career goes way back but she first started with AMES as an English tutor to help new arrivals and Springvale community aid and advice bureau as an intervention officer helping those in financial need.
She has also volunteered with Friends of Refugees who won the Community group of the year.
Since then, she has been unstoppable.
Ms Klok is also featured in Star news article from 1989 with Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Dandenong Jan Wilson about childcare centre expansion.
“I’ve worked in interesting and challenging jobs all my life, I was a teacher for education and vocational training,” Ms Klok said.
She was the assistant director of educational services at that time and was on the planning team for the establishment of what we know now as Chisholm Berwick campus.
“One of the projects I’m proud of is the Berwick campus I developed that.
When the campus started it was a paddock with cows in it and I was responsible to overlook the planning, building and commissioning,” MS Klok said.
Chisholm Berwick campus still stands tall today on Kangan Drive.
