Volunteer
Donate your time to make a real difference in the lives of people who are disadvantaged or living in poverty.
Volunteering with Vinnies
Volunteering with Vinnies is a rich and rewarding experience. By donating your time to help deliver our services and projects, you can be sure you’re making a difference in people’s lives.
Our volunteers help anyone in need, regardless of their background, culture, religion or political opinion. We meet people where they are, be it in their home, in hospital, in detention or on the street.
People who volunteer with us respect the ethos, mission, aims and objects of the Society and give their time freely to support our good works.
For some Society Members, this is a chance to use their skills and experience to give back to the community. For others, membership provides a chance to develop new skills and gain experience in a supportive environment.
As a member, you'll benefit from:
- The satisfaction of helping others
- Sharing your skills and teaching others
- Learning new skills
- The sense of community and friendship.
There are a variety of membership opportunities to get involved with. Depending on location, these might include:
- Providing practical and material assistance to people in need
- Homeless services
- Emergency relief
- Advocacy
- Disaster relief
- Migrant and refugee services
- Prison visitation
- Budget counselling
- Working in a call centre or support centre
- Helping one of our support vans
- Working in a family support, aged care or youth program
- Taking disadvantaged children out on outings
- Befriend a person living with mental illness
The Society recognises that the level of involvement members can commit to will vary depending on their personal circumstances such as study, work, and family commitments.
Members and volunteers are also supported to adjust their commitment as their personal circumstances change.
To ensure the safety and support of our members, we provide training in
- Society programs
- Workplace Health and Safety
- Child protection
- Social and formation opportunities, including retreats and Festival days.
You do not need to be Catholic to be a member. While the Society is a Catholic lay organisation, we welcome people of all backgrounds and beliefs who support our mission to help people who are disadvantaged and living in poverty.
Act now - select your state or territory

Apply now
Enquire about volunteering with Vinnies today to start giving back and making a difference.
Meet our volunteers
See what it's like to volunteer with our soup vans or in our retail stores through the experiences of Frank and Simon (links are to YouTube videos).
Learn more about us
Members belong to Conferences, and make a lasting difference in the community
