By Jaqui O’Donohoe
Vas has been living in Werribee since 2009 and feels very connected to his community. He has volunteered with various organisations such as the Smith Family, delivering gifts to children at Christmas, and through Red Cross, visiting and connecting with residents at aged care facilities.
With 13-year old twins, one of whom has Down syndrome, Vas has been particularly impressed with the services provided to his family by Gateways, a not-for-profit organisation that provides a range of support services for both children and adults with disabilities.
These experiences led to Vas wanting to become more involved with a volunteer organisation in his community. Lockdown gave him the opportunity to research organisations that he would consider joining. Rotary resonated because of its variety of projects and hands-on initiatives. In particular, because Vas is a cyclist himself, he was very impressed with Phil Purdy’s ‘Ride for Cancer’ project, in which Phil and others cycled from Sydney to Melbourne to raise funds for Rotary Ovarian Cancer Awareness (RoCan) and to build a wellness centre in Werribee. After attending a few Rotary Werribee meetings and admiring the passion within the club, he could see himself becoming a member. He was subsequently inducted on 28th August this year, and is already active on the Club’s Environmental Committee.
A Software Developer, Vas, like so many others, has been working from home since March. He is glad to see COVID restrictions being lifted so that he can enjoy his own cycling pursuits.
Vas believes the biggest challenge for Rotary is the need to appeal to a younger audience and attract them to become members so that the future of the Club and Rotary is ensured.
Welcome to Rotary Vas!