Meet Al and Di Girvan who have been married for nearly 30 years and volunteering at Mater Hospital South Brisbane for the past three years, this Valentine’s Day they talk about their love of volunteering.

Di and Al say volunteering together at Mater has bought them so much joy over the years and they love helping people.

“Each day we leave here with a nice warm feeling knowing we have helped people during some of the most stressful and difficult days of their lives,” Di said.

“I was here as a patient and I knew I had to come back. I encouraged Al to join me and we have not looked back since.”

Al also enjoys the social aspect of volunteering in the hospital, meeting new people and making friends.

“We work with a great team; everyone is so friendly and easy to get along with. It’s a lovely place to be,” Al said. 

“There are quite a few couples who volunteer here together and I think it’s such a great activity to keep you busy and it’s very rewarding.”

Volunteer Coordinator Russell Williams said Mater has many couples who volunteer at the hospital and find it to be a wonderful activity to do together.

“They can come in and work in different areas of the hospital or they can stay together, it’s completely up to them,” Russell said.

“It’s a fantastic way to keep busy, make new friends and give back to the community. There are a range of varied and exciting roles at Mater for volunteers.”

To find out more about volunteering at Mater Hospital South Brisbane, Redland or Springfield please contact 07 3163 8599 or email volunteers@mater.org.au