Norlane local Doris Stewart has seen a lot of changes since arriving from Malta almost 50 years ago. She’s been living in Norlane since 1971.

But one thing that has never changed is her desire to help other people.

In 2011, Doris decided that she wanted to return to school and improve her English, so she joined the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program – a free, 800-hour program run by Wyndham Community & Education Centre at Corio’s Hendy Street Hall.

But Doris soon began to spend as much time helping in the classroom as she did learning.

“The teacher knew that I had lots of patience and understanding,” Doris said. “And the ones who were really struggling with their English said to me, ‘can you help me?’ And that’s how it started.”

Doris’ passion for helping English learners continued after finishing her SEE program, and now she’s at Hendy Street for up to four days a week, volunteering as a classroom tutor.

“I don’t want to be bored at home. Here it’s alive, I’m interacting with other people; they need me here because they can talk to me,” she said.

“Once you get the opportunity to volunteer, you never look back. You learn new things, and it’s fun. I enjoy every minute I’m here.”

The SEE program is available for people who want to improve their reading, writing and maths.

If you would like to join the program, or if you would like to be a volunteer classroom tutor, contact Wyndham CEC on 9742-4013. For more information, talk to your job active or Centrelink.

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