Meet SSI volunteer Lewis Klipin

SSI volunteer Lewis Klipin at SSI Community Kitchen.

SSI volunteer Lewis Klipin is one of over six million Australians who have incorporated volunteering into their daily lives. His unwavering commitment to volunteering is an inspiration to others, having contributed at least two days a week for over 15 years since entering retirement.

The transition to retirement can be a challenge for some. However, Mr Klipin used this opportunity to take on volunteerism as a way of keeping a healthy mind, creating new social connections and, especially, giving back to the community, he said.

“I started volunteering as a way of giving back to Sydney; a city that has given us so much,” he added.  “My family and I are immigrants, as well. We arrived 38 years ago and we’ve had a wonderful life here, so I took on volunteering as a way to give back to the community.”

This purpose led him to start volunteering with the Asylum Seeker Centre where he spent three years visiting Villawood detention centre on a regular basis. After 10 years with the organisation, Mr Klipin joined SSI as a volunteer and has quickly become a valued team member.

“The part that I enjoy the most about volunteering is the direct interaction with clients,” he said.  “Unfortunately, at the other organisations where I volunteered this started happening less and less every time, so I became disillusioned. However, at SSI I can have a direct relationship with clients, which is why I like it so much.”

“It feels great to be part of an organisation that is concerned about the welfare of people in a vulnerable situation and in need of help,” he added.

Besides his regular support at Community Kitchen and other special events, such as the ‘New Beginnings Festival’, Mr Klipin’s proactive approach to volunteering hasn’t gone unnoticed at SSI.

Alongside SSI’s Community Engagement Team, Mr Klipin has organised day outings for clients to the Australian National Maritime Museum and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, where they learned about aspects of the Australian culture, which are often overlooked by welcome programs.

Years of working with refugees and asylum seekers in Australia has turned Mr. Klipin into a living box of memories and stories.

“My fondest memory of all these years of volunteering is hearing about a group of asylum seekers from Iran that I met at Villawood who finally obtained their permanent residence,” Mr. Klipin explained. “I used to visit them often, and hearing that their visas were approved and so they could stay in Australia made me very happy.”

“One of them even got to bring his whole family over here with him; it was a very exciting moment.”

Despite being extremely rewarding, volunteering also involves a tough side. Mr Klipin clearly remembers the intense sense of helplessness he felt during his first visits to Villawood.

“I remember feeling there was nothing that you could do about it… No doubt, getting used to that was the hardest part,” he said.

This initial distress, however, didn’t stop him from keeping up with his commitment of volunteering to improve the lives of people seeking asylum in Australia, which has continued for 15 years until today.

“You can’t imagine the enormous amount of satisfaction that you can get out from giving back to the community,” Mr. Klipin said.

To find out more about SSI volunteer opportunities, visit the SSI website.