My name is Jacinta McGrath and I am the Youth Social Justice Representative on the State Youth Team. I am also an active member of both the Sydney Vinnies Youth and Young Adult Conference and the University of Sydney Young Vinnies Society, the latter of which I am also the secretary.

I first became involved with Vinnies in 2017, after a call for volunteers was put out through my school. I participated as a leader on Buddies Days and Kids Camps throughout my final years of high school. I was so excited to have the opportunity for regular volunteering, having previously participated in one-off social justice initiatives offered by my school. When I moved on to university, I was eager to continue my involvement and began participating in Buddies Days and Night Patrol through the Sydney University Conference.

In early 2020 when an opening came up for the role of Youth Social Justice Representative, I jumped at the opportunity. Having now had a few years of volunteering under my belt, and thoroughly enjoying working with all our clients, members, and volunteers, I was instantly interested in becoming more involved in advocacy. This specific role is the link between the State Youth and State Social Justice Teams, and I love being able to share ideas between them; the Youth always love the opportunity to promote new initiatives and advocacy opportunities amongst their conferences, and the Social Justice Team are always keen to consider the perspective of youth, as the future of the Society and its works.

Throughout my time at Vinnies, I continue to value each and every interaction with our clients, most especially those which occur on Buddies Days. The opportunity to witness the individual impact that these days have on every child that attends, is the reason I keep returning. These Buddies Days have provided endless smiles for all the kids, and although many are a little hesitant the first time they climb onto that bus full of strangers, they never fail to have a smile on their face at the end of the day when climbing off a bus full of new friends, with an eagerness to come back again soon.”

It’s not just the kids that benefit, Lauren Leaver, the new President for the Sydney Uni Conference in 2021 says “Vinnies personally gives me an outlet from the stresses of uni, work and everyday life, because life is busy don’t get me wrong, but volunteering with Vinnies allows you to take a step back and reflect on your connections with others and the impact you may have.”