![Volunteering is a way of life for Sheryll and Jim Monsour of Bargara. Volunteering is a way of life for Sheryll and Jim Monsour of Bargara.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/zFAiTDuEg3GdzaaJJ3MGNK/9e7bd196-2310-48ee-b2fe-8cf65857bc67.JPEG/r0_51_1440_1017_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Sheryll Monsour from the Queensland coastal suburb of Bargara near Bundaberg, is an early riser and on Mondays and Fridays that's very necessary as she has to make 7am and 8am phone calls to check on the welfare of vulnerable older people.
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Sheryll, 72, is a volunteer with St John Ambulance Qld and the calls she makes are part of a state-wide telephone reassurance service aimed at ensuring older people stay safe, improving social connections and battling the problems of isolation and loneliness.
About 1500 calls are made every month by St John Ambulance Qld volunteers. Some, like those made by Sheryll, are security checks - just making sure the older person is feeling ok and arranging help if they're not.
Some of the calls made by volunteers are friendship calls which give the recipients, some of whom are housebound, a chance to chat about interests, family and life in general.
Sheryll loves the contribution she makes through the security calls. "You get to know how people are from how they sound," she said. "We talk about the weather, what they're going to do today and if they're happy with their life. It's such a privilege," she said.
But making phone calls isn't the only volunteering Sheryll does with St John Ambulance Qld. She and her husband Jim, 75 are volunteer drivers picking up and driving people to appointments and returning them home again. On Fridays the couple drive passengers out for a social day. The couple also volunteer with Meals on Wheels.
"I get a lot of satisfaction out of volunteering with St John Ambulance Qld," said Sheryll. "Knowing I'm making a difference in peoples' lives is important to me."
St John Ambulance has been at the forefront of providing urgent health and medical support during times of crisis, empowering individuals with life-saving skills, and offering vital companionship to those in need for 140 years.
The organisation's 600 plus highly trained volunteers and staff work tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of Queenslanders, making a significant impact on people's lives every day from empowering them to save a life, to keeping the community safe on the footy field and at cultural events. Last year the organisation's volunteers contributed more than 25,000 hours of support.
Other services include first aid training including first aid in schools; and a volunteer visitor scheme.
"Times are changing, but our humanitarian mission hasn't," said Glen Morrison, chief executive of St John Ambulance Qld. " We are continuously evolving to meet the changing needs of our community. Today, our services include a wide range of programs, including first aid training using immersive technology."
The St John Eye Van travels to rural hospitals and remote first nations communities across Queensland to treat preventable blindness amongst first nations people.
- If you'd like to volunteer with St John Ambulance Qld you can call the Community Care and Support Services team on 1300-785-646. www.stjohnqld.com.au