Salvos bank on corporate volunteering
- deansimpson7
- Apr 4
- 3 min read
BY FAY FOSTER
In its efforts to support those who need it most, The Salvation Army heavily relies on its corporate partners.
These partner organisations not only support The Salvation Army’s work through ethical business relationships and financial contributions, but their staff also assist by volunteering at Salvo centres.
The National Australia Bank (NAB) has been a strong partner in many ways, including corporate volunteering, together with funding from the NAB Foundation. In 2024, NAB employees took up 800 volunteer placements with The Salvation Army across Australia, predominantly in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
At the Pooraka Christmas warehouse in South Australia, groups of 10 to 20 NAB volunteers unwrapped and organised gifts and material aid for children and families in need, assembled new bikes, and assisted The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) team in preparing lunch for the group.
After hearing from guest speakers representing various Salvation Army services, three volunteers signed up to assist with future opportunities at the SAES, which offers catering for emergency services personnel and support for those impacted by disasters such as bushfires, floods and cyclones.
At Sydney City Salvos, NAB employees have volunteered at Hope Dinners for community members. Once a month, from March to September 2024, different teams of volunteers set up tables and then welcomed community members with coffee and soup before serving the main meal. Team members shared the meal and conversation with community members, served dessert, cleared the plates from the table, wiped down the tables and helped with the washing up.
“It takes a team to do it,” said Sydney City Salvos outreach worker Danny Salsbury, who is charged with preparing the meals. “The NAB volunteers are great teams that just want to help. They fit in well and work well with our team.
“Some of the volunteers have said, ‘I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, and NAB gave me the chance – can I do more?’ One man has signed up for regular volunteering and is bringing his wife and teenage kids as well.”
“Volunteering is more than serving meals or sorting through donations; it brings teams together to create a deeper bond and sense of purpose that is both rewarding and humbling.”
NAB’s Joe Paparella (State Business Banking Executive – Regional and Agri – SA/NT) said volunteering provided him and his fellow NAB colleagues an opportunity to bring to life the bank’s slogan of ‘NAB – More than Money’.
“I walk away from every interaction with the Salvos feeling like I have made a difference in someone’s life through providing some sort of support through my efforts.
“Many colleagues find joy and a sense of wellbeing in volunteering with the Salvos –they help the community, and they gain personal growth as well – win-win!”
Jen Pendergast, Strategic Relationships Coordinator for The Salvation Army, said, “It is truly an honour to work alongside NAB, and we deeply appreciate their support.
“NAB and NAB Foundation’s commitment to our cause is invaluable. The stories and experiences shared through this collaboration are incredibly impactful, and we are excited about the positive difference we can make together.
“Understanding the benefit of corporate volunteering and recognising the critical role of volunteer coordination to efficiently manage requests from our corporate partners, the NAB Foundation has generously contributed a three-year grant to secure a permanent resource to enable The Salvation Army to further expand its capabilities in delivering corporate volunteering opportunities across Australia until 2026.”
Kate Betts, Head of NAB Foundation, said the funding supports the Salvos with essential resources that further enable the corporate sector to get involved in the community.
“Volunteering is more than serving meals or sorting through donations; it’s an experience that enables staff to gain a greater understanding of the importance of how every bit of support really does make a difference. NAB Foundation’s support empowers even more corporate volunteers to turn compassion into action, for the greater good.”
For more information on corporate partnerships and the Corporate Partnership Volunteering initiative, click here.
NAB staff ‘doing their bit’ for the Salvos by volunteering as part of the Corporate Partnership initiative.
