Cathy McGowan (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Colleagues, this year marks the 100th birthday of Yooralla, and they celebrated in Benalla last Thursday. Yooralla began in 1918 when a group of volunteers joined forces, under the leadership of Sister Faith, to establish Victoria's first kindergarten for children with disabilities. Yooralla has been active in Benalla for 42 years. They offer a range of accommodation, support, respite and employment services to more than 150 people across the Ovens and Murray region.

As we've heard, organisations like Yooralla couldn't exist without volunteers, without people like Margaret, 84 years young, who has been working at the Yooralla op-shop in Benalla for more than two decades. Margaret said, 'When I first moved to Benalla 20 years ago, I wanted to connect with the local community and find a way to give back, to help people, and volunteering offers both', as her story in the Benalla Ensign tells us. Today I call out to organisations such as Yooralla; I call out to all the carers of people in our community. We know regional Australia does more than any other part of the country, with 41 per cent regularly volunteering. They really do the heavy lifting in my communities. Thank you to all volunteers, and a special call out to Margaret and all her colleagues at the Yooralla Benalla op-shop.