Margaret Gearon has been the steady heartbeat of St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria’s Eastern region for more than a decade. As Blackburn South Conference President, Eastern Central Council President, and Ringwood Regional Council President, she carries responsibilities that span seven conferences and six regional councils across Melbourne's east. As Chair of Social Justice, Social Policy & Advocacy Advisory Committee, Margaret is a leader and inspiration to so many.

Her week looks like this: bread runs twice a fortnight, coordinating Mini Vinnies programs, stocking pantries for emergency hampers, and leading the Tuesday visit team that responds to calls for material aid. Then there's the behind-the-scenes work – supporting conference presidents through complex decisions about housing assistance, helping people fleeing domestic and family violence, and ensuring volunteers have the training they need.

Margaret's path to St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria began in her thirties, helping her father manage Sandhurst Diocese stores in the 1980s. When she took early retirement from her lecturing position at Monash University, volunteering became her way to stay connected to community and purpose.

"I really like the opportunity to work with and meet a variety of different people," Margaret says. "I am strongly committed to social justice and advocacy for those who have fewer opportunities to help themselves."

One moment captures what drives her: "We were able to help a young woman who had just come out of rehab to get her twin daughters back and move to a more secure social housing unit in another area." It's the kind of complex, life-changing assistance that requires patience, coordination, and genuine care.

Margaret has learned to be "more broadminded and non-judgemental as often as possible" and has the following advice for people thinking of volunteering: "Think about what small difference you can make to the people in your local community and to how you can contribute to making someone else's life a bit better."

For Margaret, the most meaningful part isn't the titles or the meetings. It's "the ability to go out many times a week and reach out and help someone who is struggling with everyday issues such as lack of money to buy essential goods such as food, electricity and medication."

During National Volunteer Week, Margaret represents thousands of Vinnies volunteers who quietly transform lives simply by showing up.

More than a decade of commitment