Earlier this month, the smell of fresh paint filled the common room air at Anglicare’s Disability Day Centre—while outside, garden beds were being filled with flower and vegetable seedlings, and a barbecue sizzled with snags.

It was Deloitte’s annual Impact Day, and Anglicare was incredibly fortunate to welcome teams of Deloitte volunteers to two of our Canberra-based services. In addition to the Disability Day Centre in Holt, our Gordon Community Centre (GCC) also received a refresh. Windows throughout the centre were made squeaky clean, the main hall—home to playgroup, karate lessons and table tennis—was given a fresh coat of paint, and new plants were dug into the notoriously tough soil outside.

“Our centre is nearly entirely run by volunteers”, explained GCC Coordinator Rose Flintoft. “They give their time every week to assist community members in the food pantry, run play group, and everything else. They don’t have the capacity to also do extra things like this. Which is why having the Deloitte team here, dedicated to these tasks is so helpful. I don’t know when it would get done otherwise.”

In Holt, disability participant, Christina was also pleased with the work being done.  Watching closely as volunteers painted a wall in the specific shade of pink she had chosen, she said, “Everyone is doing a good job today”.

Deloitte’s Impact Day is a national initiative with thousands of employees stepping away from their desks to make a positive contribution to their communities. “It’s such a nice time working with your team, doing something different, and also actually making an impact”, said one Deloitte volunteer. “And it is good that we have that dedicated time off to do it.”

“I always really enjoy Impact Day said another Deloitte volunteer, whose previous contributions include volunteering at The Smith Family, OzHarvest, and the RSPCA—where she helped build bird cages.

The initiative has lasting impact beyond one day. Team members shared stories of becoming regular volunteers at services they first encountered through Impact Day events. It also offers a valuable team building opportunity for work groups, like the team at Holt, who are consultants in the same area, but often don’t work on the same tasks.

We are incredibly thankful to Deloitte for choosing Anglicare as an Impact Day partner and look forward to future collaborations.

Visit our Volunteers page or call 02 6245 7100 to learn how individuals, schools, churches, and business groups can make a difference with Anglicare.