Our beloved Volunteer Coordinator, Lindy Antoniou recently celebrated 15 years at Wayside Chapel. She sat down with Tom for a chat.
Lindy’s face lights up when asked about her early life and her childhood. “I’m so pleased you asked me about that, because my early life is so connected to Wayside”. Growing up in Cooma in the Snowy Mountains, “the first multicultural town in Australia” shaped Lindy’s view on community and instilled values which have influenced her life and work. “My father was the CEO of the Hospital, and my mother was a nursing sister. The town was made up of people from all over the world. We all came together as one. We were one community. It formed my identity and how I view people. I’m thankful for being there, even though I couldn’t wait to get out and into the world when I was a teenager”.
Lindy’s colourful and varied career before Wayside included working in a science laboratory at a school, selling men’s formalwear and working for the Commonwealth Employment scheme in Darwin. However, her return to Sydney and to formal studies in Social Work led her eventually to Wayside.
When Lindy showed up for her first day on a student placement at Wayside in 2006, she didn’t know she would last more than a day, let alone still be here 15 years later. “When I arrived, everything was shut. You can imagine the old red door, which was closed. No-one had let me know there was a meeting going on. Eventually, the Director came out and said ‘wait here’ and she never came back! There were fights and chaos going on everywhere, but I waited, and eventually the day began. When I came back the next day she said ‘I didn’t think you would come back’ but, I did. Halfway through my placement hours I was offered a role”.
For her first nearly 11 years at Wayside, Lindy was a core part of the Community Services Centre team, wearing many hats (often at once). Her early roles included CSC, Student Placements, Supported Employment and coordinating volunteers for the Kings Cross CSC.
What Lindy found at Wayside is what she describes as ‘the magic’. She believes it endures and grows here, despite seeing a lot of change. “When I came here, I felt like I had come home. Anybody and everybody is valued. Everybody looks after one another. I hadn’t seen that through my life, since my childhood, up until that Wayside moment”
Reflecting on her time at Wayside, Lindy really has seen it all, from the sadness and reflection that death brings to the side splittingly hilarious. “Wayside, to me, is like a theatre of life. There have been many moments where you think to yourself ‘did that just happen!?’”
“I love that we are ‘out there’ at Wayside. I love that we have civil disobedience in our history. I’d always waited for a moment to do something a bit controversial and to get people to think about things”
When the role of Volunteer Coordinator came up, it seemed like the perfect fit and Lindy has nurtured and grown this vital part of Wayside. Lindy takes the time to get to know each of our vollies and from the first interview with them she develops a special bond. She is held in the highest possible regard by our precious volunteers, and the feeling is very much reciprocated:
“What I love about our Volunteers as a whole is their diversity. We are lucky to have young people as well as older people. Many relationships are formed across generations. I love that they have found Wayside and that they are so loyal, especially those who have gone through the pandemic with us. They love Wayside and they say they get more than what they give. I see that. It’s not just the amount of years that go by, I even see it when I interview them and I know they are going to be good fit. I do sometimes feel that they are undervalued. We do need to put their value higher. They perform a role that staff don’t have to do, something that they genuinely love doing. Hence, staff can go on and do what they do best. You must nurture volunteers and be on their journey with them. They are all so individually different but all have the same inner strength”.
Looking to the future, personally, Lindy is looking forward to a trip to her beloved husband Lefteriou’s native Greece in the European spring time, a trip that has been delayed multiple times and will be long overdue when they finally head off in May 2023.
“At work, having Alice (our new Volunteer Lead) on board has been a fabulous addition. To have someone near who understands volunteerism and be able to support one another has been a tremendous relief. I’d also like to see Wayside in another suburb. And beyond. I’m not going to be here for the ‘and beyond’ perhaps, but it’s fulfilled what I said at the beginning, that Wayside will grow and thrive if we always just look out for one another”.
Heartfelt congratulations on fifteen fabulous years, dear Lindy!
Thank you for bringing your magic to Wayside, it has and will continue to touch many lives. We adore working with you.
