27/11/2007 - Galatti Award Winner Announced
AFS honours hard working volunteer
Volunteers are the backbone of so many organisations around the country, contributing their time to local communities and so rarely getting the recognition they truly deserve. Well, this December, one very commendable volunteer is being honoured for her work on International Volunteer Day. Joy Robb from Bungendore NSW is this year’s recipient of the Galatti Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service from AFS Intercultural Programs.
Joy began her AFS journey over a decade ago when her eldest daughter decided to go on an international student exchange. Since then, the entire family has been involved with AFS in one way or another. All four of Joy’s children have experienced an AFS exchange program, whilst Joy and her husband have acted as host parents to six international students.
“I have seen the positive changes and huge emotional and intellectual growth my own children have been through, as well as the empathy they feel for those who are challenged to learn a language and engage within a community. All these experiences have so enriched the lives of the Robb family.”
As well as acting as a host mum to students from all corners of the world, Joy has undertaken a number of different roles within AFS, including organising fundraising events which provide partial scholarships for students around Canberra wanting to study abroad. She is a strong believer in the AFS mission and is very passionate about the work she is doing.
“This concept of developing intercultural understanding pushes the young to think globally and hopefully the freshness of their ideas on many of the major issues facing governments around the world can be heard and considered by those in power and, later, when they in their turn take on leadership roles.”
The Galatti Award was established in 1983 in order to give credit to the exceptional volunteers whose commitment and dedication helps to further the AFS message of global understanding. The award also pays tribute to its namesake, AFS founder Stephen Galatti, who – 60 years ago – built and transformed AFS from an organisation that transported the war wounded into one that now provides international and intercultural exchange programs to over 11,000 participants every year.
So on International Volunteer Day 2007, a big congratulations goes out to Joy Robb on her great achievement!
Media Contact:
Barbara Ratusznik
barbara.ratusznik@afs.org
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