Student profile
Zeljka Sabo
Arts student
Organisation: St Vincent De Paul Soup Van
Why did you get involved in St Vincent De Paul Soup Van?
I thought it would be very beneficial to actually go out into the community and help out those in need first hand. There are so many disadvantaged people out there, many of whom rely heavily on things like the soup van. The St Vincent De Paul Soup Van runs pretty much 365 days of the year and with minimal funding. They can never have enough volunteers; that was a strong motivator for me to get involved.
What does your volunteering with St Vincent De Paul involve?
Each week volunteers meet at Our Lady's Hall in Footscray and help to sort out the donations and load the vans. We then head to locations in Williamstown and Footscray. Everyone helps to clean up at the end of the night. There are a few places (homes) that I love to visit on the runs because the people are so friendly and appreciative of you popping by to help out, as well as have a chat and take an interest in their lives.
How have you benefited from the experience?
I feel that this experience has made me see how fragile and unpredictable life can be. The people we see are so grateful for a few loaves of bread and cups of soup. This is so remarkable to me in many respects. The experience has made me aware of just how lucky I am.