Leading with Heart: How Our Team Connects Communities

Volunteering is more than donating time—it’s a choice to lead with compassion, to build connection, and to offer care. At its core, it’s about stepping up when it matters most, helping without expectation, and believing that even the smallest acts of kindness can ripple outward and create lasting impact.

This National Volunteer Week, we’re reflecting on the many ways our team members quietly give back—through their time, their skills, and their hearts. Whether it’s lending a hand in moments of crisis, strengthening community networks, or advocating for those without a voice, these acts speak not just to what we do, but to who we are.

This year’s theme, “Connecting Communities,” resonates deeply at Assessable. While we’re dedicated to providing quality behaviour support, our team’s commitment to care extends far beyond professional roles. The volunteer work they undertake—often behind the scenes—represents the best of community spirit: thoughtful, humble, and purpose-driven.

Some, like Delfina, support women transitioning out of domestic violence—helping them move, settle, and find safety. She also contributes to the AASW QLD Branch Committee, facilitates the Brisbane Practice Group, and shares her expertise through events like Pint of Science, bringing important ideas into community spaces.

Tracy has quietly stepped in for families in crisis—providing emergency financial relief, food donations, and gifts to ensure no child goes without at Christmas. Her belief is simple: “If we can do good—we should. And those that do, are legends.”

In mental health and crisis care, team members like Belinda and Rebecca volunteer as trained crisis supporters with Lifeline. Rebecca also manages her son’s basketball teams, advocates for survivors of domestic violence and Hague Convention cases, and serves with Soroptimists International, promoting women’s rights worldwide.

Arnee has given over a decade to the Rural Fire Service and serves as president of his local Community Association—bringing together local schools, clubs, and council. His Tai Chi and Kung Fu classes promote wellbeing and social connection, and he was awarded the National Medal for his service during the 2019–2020 bushfires.

Maria channels her lived experience into deeply impactful volunteer work. She facilitates support groups for those leaving coercive control and cultic environments, offering both solidarity and guidance. Her advocacy has helped drive the recent Victorian Inquiry into Cults and fringe groups, with a focus on expanding coercive control legislation beyond intimate partner violence. Maria also provides pro bono support for individuals navigating the NDIS, mental health services, and the Redress scheme.

Kellie, a Psychologist and Behaviour Support Practitioner who lives with cerebral palsy, offers supervision to early-career psychologists and provides tailored counselling. She's described by the team at Assessable as “kind-hearted” and “giving”—a sentiment that beautifully captures the quiet strength that drives our work.

Jesse understands the power of support firsthand. After surviving a near-fatal accident a decade ago, Jesse now volunteers in the trauma ward at Gold Coast Hospital, offering peer support to individuals and families facing similar journeys. He also leads international humanitarian projects, delivering ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) to people in underserved communities—restoring not just mobility, but dignity and opportunity.

Some team members give formally—through structured programs, committees, and professional bodies. Others contribute informally—through spontaneous acts of kindness, grassroots advocacy, or simply showing up when someone needs help. Whether local or global, big or small, each action reflects the same core value: a desire to make life better for others.

These stories aren’t shared for recognition. They’re shared to reflect the values that guide us. At Assessable, we believe strong communities are built through empathy, action, and connection. The selfless efforts of our team not only change individual lives—they strengthen the very fabric of the communities we serve.