Meet Les Hare, a retired civil engineer whose career took him across the globe – from Fiji and Malaysia to England and China. Now, after 30 years away, Les has found purpose and connection through volunteering at MercyCare Joondalup RAC.
While Les initially explored engineering-related volunteer roles, his path led him in a different direction. His decision to volunteer in aged care was deeply personal:
“My mother was in an aged care home in the UK after a fall. When I come here, I see her in many of the residents.”
Les has been volunteering with MercyCare for about 6 months and has found his calling in supporting group activities – particularly the crowd favourite of bingo. He found it was the best way to start volunteering, doing group activities in a casual environment and allowing connections to form naturally. Seeing residents actively involved in activities has been especially meaningful for Les, as his own mother didn’t participate in many during her time in care.
“The biggest reward is seeing people smile.”
Les also enjoys listening to residents share their life stories and memories. Being able to create spaces for people to open up and be heard is something he finds especially meaningful.
Volunteering has also helped Les build a social network in Perth where he previously didn’t know anyone. His wife has also joined him as a volunteer, allowing them to give back to the community together.
“It brought me out to meet people which is another big plus. The staff are very friendly and there’s about 10 residents I regularly talk to. Even walking to the centre, I meet people on the way.”
For those considering volunteering, Les encourages joining for group activities as an easy way to get involved.
“People really do appreciate it, even if its just a few minutes listening to a story.”
