The driving force of volunteers - Building a passion project from the ground up

I founded One Another two months ago off the back of my personal experience of being stranded in Europe during the Spanish lockdown. Facing cancelled flights and no way to get home, I felt scared with no immediate prospect of getting home to Australia, worried for my 89-year-old grandmother due to the pandemic and the effects that isolation might have on my 3-year-old son. Despite the feeling of helplessness, I felt comfort that I was surrounded by loved ones.

It was this feeling of comfort that spurred me to think about many that might be less fortunate during these times, and might feel scared, alone and helpless - with no-one to turn to when they need it the most.

As a single mum and business owner, I have been used to being fiercely independent. To find myself in a position where I had to ask for help, was unsettling for me as very much out of my comfort zone.

This is where the idea for One Another was born, to create a trusted space, where members of communities can reach out to One Another to ask for, and offer help.

This week is Volunteering Australia's National Volunteers Week and Australians are being encouraged to #WAVEFORVOLUNTEERS. I wanted to take the opportunity to recognise the volunteers, who are working together to make our combined driving force; to amplify the ripple effect of kindness across communities a reality.

A callout to Sydney Startup's facebook group late one night in Spain, asking for people who might be interested in helping me build a digital version of the cards that were being created and posted under neighbours doors, to enable people to have a place to offer the help they craved to give, and vice versa resulted in a wave of volunteers who wanted to help in anyway they could.

Over night, 60 people had filled in the Typeform questionnaire and joined the 'Project Camp' facebook group - we had a foundation, we had a team! I've never been so humbled and inspired to create, to build and to collaborate with likeminded skilled volunteers, who just wanted to help provide a solution that enables Australians to help one another.

Our entire team of UX & UI designers, front and back end web developers, marketeers, creative directors, product leads, architects, graphic designers, user researchers and public relations experts have come together and approached our vision with conviction, due diligence and proactivity, all whilst being 100% accountable for the work which we've each put out hands up to complete.

Whether it’s picking up groceries, walking a pet, a friendly phone call, setting up a digital profile or picking up medical scripts, One Another’s dedicated platform matches each call for support with local community volunteers that provide the best fit.

As Australia is coming out of lockdown and restrictions are being eased on a weekly basis, it might be easy to assume that Australian will go 'back to business as usual' and that the need, and desire to help one another will also ease too.

I fundamentally believe that the past few months, living through the reality of a global pandemic has made awareness surrounding helping others, and needing (and asking for) help be at the forefront of our minds, perhaps more than ever before. I also believe that this isn't going to go away, rather that as communities we will turn to one another to provide support, reassurance and assistance without the reservations of doing so that maybe existed before.

Local communities will need one another more than ever before, whether it's a local businesses, community markets, artisan providores, neighbours, friends or volunteer organisations, I believe that volunteers will be fundamental to helping communities rebuild a sense of community spirit, and to ensure that no-one ever need feel alone.

As we draw closer to the platform launching, just two months after the inception of an idea, we're focusing on encouraging as many Aussies as possible to register to One Another to be a volunteer and/ or ask for help. We want to build communities of volunteers across our nation, who want to help those around them in which ever way they are able to.

Whilst born out of a COVID-19 age, One Another has been created to provide continued support within our communities, whenever they need it. Loneliness is an existing epidemic across Australia with 1 in 2 Australians admitting to feeling alone, pre-COVID-19. A sobering statistic, which isn’t likely to go away any time soon.

Unprecedented times of isolation due to COVID-19 have highlighted how it feels to be vulnerable or helpless, which has opened up a collective consciousness that this is what everyday life is like for some people even at the best of times. 

Team One Another has built the platform to stand the test of time and to continue to help ‘One Another’ when times get tough, with a mission to be the trusted and reliable resource that connects volunteers with people in need within their local communities.

If you're interested in registering or collaborating with One Another, please head to our website to find out more.

Finally, a very big thank you to everyone who has volunteered in the past, is volunteering right now, or plans to volunteer in the future - you are amazing.