Volunteer
Volunteers are the heart of Bendigo Winter Night Shelter. Each season hundreds of community members contribute their time and skills to support the shelter.
Volunteering can involve preparing meals, welcoming guests, assisting with setup, or helping coordinate nightly operations.
The shelter provides training and support so volunteers feel confident and prepared in their roles.
Volunteer Roles
Volunteers help in many different ways throughout the shelter season. Roles may include hospitality, meal preparation, guest support, logistics, and coordination.
Each role contributes to creating a welcoming and well-organised environment for guests.
Volunteer opportunities may include:
Guest hospitality
Meal preparation
Evening support teams
Transport support
Laundry and supplies
Setup and pack-down
Administrative support
Each role contributes to the safety, comfort and dignity of guests.
Training & Expectations
All volunteers receive orientation and guidance to ensure the shelter operates safely and respectfully.
Training covers communication, guest wellbeing, and practical procedures used during shelter operations.
Training may include:
Communication and guest support
Safety procedures
Shelter routines
Respectful and trauma-aware interactions
This ensures volunteers feel confident and prepared for their role.
Apply to Volunteer
Please register as a volunteer using our platform Better Impact
Information about the shifts can be found at Better Impact.
Please note registration is a two step process:
Step 1. You enter your details
Step 2. Once you are approved you will be notified to go back into the system and choose the shifts that you want.
Shifts are available to sign up for in the months leading up to the winter season (April - May) and during the winter season (June - September). During the rest of the year it is still great to register as a volunteer. We will notify registered volunteers when shifts are released for you to sign up to.
Please email contact@bwns.org.au with any queries