World Senior Citizens Day was held on August 21. It was introduced in 1988 by former US president Ronald Reagan primarily to recognise and acknowledge the contribution of older people to society.
The majority of the ministries run through the Mandurah Salvation Army would not be able to function without vital and passionate engagement of some of our local senior citizens.
We have more than 130 volunteers who are engaged each week through the various programs run at the Mandurah Salvos. Some of our volunteers are aged in their 60s; many are in their 70s.
Some are in their 80s and we even have quite a few in their 90s. All are volunteers from the church and the local community.
The Mandurah Corps run their own Thrift Shop from which all the other church ministries are funded. We have around 60 volunteers on our roster, and about 70 per cent of those would be hitting 60 or over.
We have many people that are retired or close to retiring but are not satisfied with just sitting on the sidelines.
Every Monday, Tuesday and Friday the Mandurah Corps run Emergency Relief for those in our community experiencing hardship. Community members seeking assistance come into the centre between 9am and 11.30am.
One of the team, Barbara Carnochan, not only meets and assesses clients each week, but has also been collecting for The Salvation Army out the front of Coles every Saturday for the past 20 years.
Mainly music is run every Tuesday for young parents and their children, and its team includes several retired people.
Saturday Salvos is another ministry for the whole family, and it could not run without the involvement of our older volunteers.
We couldn't do what we do without the support, leadership and engagement of people in their latter years.
It is invaluable that people in their senior years are stepping up and making such a huge contribution to the Salvation Army's ministries and impacting our local community.
Captain Scott Ellery is from the Salvation Army Mandurah.
