 Hi, I'm Kate Lundy, the Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Citizenship. Every year on December 5 we celebrate International Volunteer Day to acknowledge the work and accomplishments of some very special Australians who volunteer their time to make a difference in our communities. As well as giving their time and energy to help improve the lives of others, our volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and reflect the diversity of our great nation. This year we are honouring the work of those who give up their time to help vulnerable people take their first steps as they build their new lives in Australia. There are wonderful unsung volunteers who work to provide support to newly arrived refugees. Here are some of their stories. I've been working with Lattice for quite a while now, a few months. I guess the main thing I've been trying to do is to help him get involved in the community because his disability means that he can't really do that for himself and his mum has day-to-day care of him and she gets tired and needs a bit of support herself. So the more we can get him out and about the better it is for him and also she benefits as well. What did you do then, did you make it, oh you made it go a little bit higher? I think people should volunteer because we all have something to offer and everyone has something that they need and we should be linking up with each other to meet each other's needs. I have a busy life but I'll always leave room in it for volunteering. Now this is the watermelon, it's a favourite in Australia in summer, it's always great fun to take the new arrivals out because one is aware that they are learning so much so rapidly and I admire them for that. Normally in Australia we have a cereal for breakfast like rice bubbles. The wonderment is magical, it's magical. I've been volunteering for three and a half years. I get a kick out of seeing people adjust to an entirely new society. There we are, there's a cinema that's worth coming to and the book store is right. And I love having an input into the lives of people who have suffered various forms of disadvantage and we in this country are able to offer that assistance but the assistance comes not only from organisations but from individuals and I hope I'm one of those individuals. Volunteering I think is good for the soul if you like. It makes one feel that you are part of humanity, that you are contributing to the betterment of humanity.