'I just love helping others': Volunteer encourages others to sign up

The 80-year-old said she would perform in charity concerts around the district with her father when she was young.

Tin rattling on Good Friday to raise money for the Royal Children's Hospital was also something she took up at a young age.

Mrs Heazlewood said she loved helping others.

She said volunteering was incredibly rewarding and she would continue to volunteer for the Warrnambool Coast Guard for as long as she can.

Mrs Heazlewood was instrumental in lobbying for a coast guard after her husband Gerald "Prop" and her son David died in a boating accident in January 2000.

Her husband offered to help out her son with his cray fishing boat that day.

The two set out on January 12 and her husband was found the next day.

Her son wasn't found until two weeks later.

Mrs Heazlewood said it was devastating to watch as her husband and son's fishing friends tried in vain to suggest to emergency service personnel where they should search for the missing pair.

She said police acknowledged after the search they had a lack of resources to deal with an emergency on the ocean.

"The police invited me to the first meeting to form a coast guard and I was the first person to put my hand up and volunteer," Mrs Heazlewood said.

She said she had no doubt the service had saved lives, as had the region's rescue helicopter, which she also helped campaign for.

Mrs Heazlewood was also a volunteer at the Dennington kinder and helped organise a number of fund-raising events for the service.

She was also involved with the city's roller hockey club.

Mrs Heazlewood said she would encourage other people to consider volunteering to give back to the community.

South-west residents can learn about the volunteering opportunities at the South West Volunteer Expo on Saturday.

The expo will be held on Saturday October 7 at the Emmanuel Centre on Botanic Road from 10am until 2pm.

A total of 47 local groups will be there on the day, including the newly formed Fruit Rescue, which is a Leadership Great South Coast initiative.

Fruit Rescue member Courtney Mathew said the goal was simple - to take fruit that was otherwise going to waste and get it to the people who need it.

"When I go walking around my neighbourhood I see these trees dripping with fruit and I can see them rotting on the tree and it's such a shame," she said.

"The three things people can get involved with are offering their trees for us to pick, volunteering to go out and do the picking, or for organisations like Food Share who can distribute the fruit.

"We go where the picks are so we need people across Warrnambool to share their trees and share their time and in return we're offering free fruit, so it's win-win."

Ms Mathew said people who sign up before November 1 would go in the running to win one of 10 fruit trees.

"We really hope the community embraces it and we have a great summer," she said.

Warrnambool mayor Debbie Arnott encouraged everyone to come along and learn more about the wide range of volunteering roles available.

"Volunteering is such a special thing you can do to help your community and the people who call it home," she said.

"It only takes a little bit of your time, but the impact you can have can be profound," she said.

Cr Arnott said people could find out about some of the amazing groups in the region.

"When you help other people, it makes you feel good too, and for many people, volunteering can be one of the most rewarding things they ever do," she said.

The expo is free to attend with lucky door prizes as well as food vendors and coffee available.

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