This year, the Casey Senior Citizen of the Year attracted the most entries with seven residents in the spotlight for their service to the community. DANIELLE BUTCHER, SANDRA BULL and LIZ BELL spoke with the nominees.WINNER: Sue Hughes, 64, a Berwick community playgroup co-ordinator, says she gets just as much pleasure from the tri-weekly sessions as the mums and kids do.
"As a volunteer, you get so much more out of it than what you put in.
"It's wonderful seeing new mums come in and develop friendships."
Sue has been involved with the Berwick Anglican Church since 1981 and is also an Inner Wheel Club of Berwick member.
Sue also helps raise funds for cord blood research and The Cancer Council and is a life member of the Berwick Calisthenics Club.
She is keen to continue holding occasional cooking lessons for elderly or single men after a successful class she ran last year under Casey's Ageing Positively program.
Sue said she was surprised and even embarrassed by her nomination for "doing my little bit".
"You don't do it for notice. I do it because I enjoy putting into things."
Bert Ainge, of Berwick, had a long history of volunteering even before he retired from teaching in 1986.
"I suppose I have always been active in community organisations in different towns where I taught when I was a teacher, and it just kept going," he said.
"To be recognised as a nominee is a bit humbling as there are lots of others who could be."
Bert has been a member of the Berwick and District Benevolent Society for 25 years and a Rotarian for
39. He is also a foundation member of
the Combined Probus Club of
Berwick.
Bert helped start the Neighbourhood Watch scheme in Berwick in 1986 and has been pleased to see the initiative grow.
A community member of the Casey Sister Cities Forum, he concedes that it is "getting harder" with uncertainty hanging over links with Springfield, Ohio, and Berwick-upon-Tweed in the UK.
Keith Buck, of Blind Bight, produces the Coastal Communities newsletter and several newsletters and magazines for community and volunteer groups.
Despite his publishing commitments, Keith finds
time to volunteer on the Blind Bight Community Centre committee of management and the Tooradin and Coastal Villages Community Bank steering committee.
Keith took up volunteering after being made redundant about eight years ago.
"You certainly don't expect any recognition when you volunteer,
and I'm more than happy to do
it."
Eileen O'Connell, of Doveton, was nominated for her contribution to the Doveton community.
Eileen volunteers at the Doveton Neighbourhood Learning Centre, is caretaker for the Doveton NLC and The Dove community facility and is also a NLC community bus driver.
Brenda Miller, 80, believes she belongs to one of the luckiest generations in the world.
"I was born in England after World War I and was only 17 and not an adult when WWII ended," Brenda said.
"And the countries I lived in, England and Australia, became more and more prosperous."
Brenda said her good fortune encouraged her to put back into the community.
A Berwick resident since 1965, she is a long-time member of the Berwick and District Benevolent Society.
Brenda is also a staunch supporter of the Oxfam Australia Berwick branch, Friends of Ermera , Berwick and District Community Association and a convener for Clean Up Australia.
Before retiring as an English teacher and librarian in 1987, Brenda set up libraries at the former Hallam
High School and Doveton Technical School.
John Schmode, of Narre Warren, has been recognised for his contribution to youth education.
For the past 2 years John has volunteered at Hallam Valley Primary School helping children improve their reading and writing skills.
"It is great seeing the kids improving a little in their reading, writing and companionship.
"Some of the kids look at me as a grandfather-type figure."
John was also fundamental in setting up a program which teaches children how to care for animals.
"We find if we get a child who is a bit upset they go out to the animal shelter for a few minutes and come back a bit settled."
He was also nominated for the award last year by students at the school.
"It makes you feel very special.
"You walk away from there every day with a great feeling."
John Taylor, of Narre Warren, was nominated for his contribution to Legacy and the Scout movement.
He has been involved with Legacy since his teenage years.
Since then John, who fought in World War II, has become heavily involved in helping war widows and their children.
An area leader within Casey, John, 90, helps more than 80 of the 1750 widows in the region.
John said he was humbled with the award but shied away from the publicity.
"We try and keep very low-key.
"We feel we should help out mates' widows and children because our mates didn't come back.
"So we are not happy about taking any recognition or acknowledgement for what we do."
While chief commissioner of the Dandenong and District Scouts, John was also fundamental in boosting Scout numbers in the region.
The award-winners will be announced tonight. Look here on Tuesday for results.
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