A lifetime of community service and outreach work were recognised last month when Mary Vella was given a lifetime achievement award by Brimbank council.
The award – which is usually only presented to organisations rather than individuals – acknowledged Ms Vella’s 35 years of service to Brimbank’s multicultural community.
Ms Vella founded and is still an active member of the Maltese Senior Citizens group in Sunshine West.
She also reached out to multicultural communities across Brimbank, working with members of the Greek, Turkish, Italian and Spanish communities to form what is now the West Sunshine Multicultural Senior Citizens Centre Incorporated.
She said it was a huge thrill to be recognised, but she never expected it.
“I can’t explain the feeling, I’m not sure if it’s real or a dream,” she said. “I definitely wasn’t expecting this, but it is beautiful. I feel very honoured.”
Ms Vella started volunteering when her children were in kindergarten, working with schools and local churches before moving into her work with senior citizens.
“I’d take them out, I used to do buses, and then, eventually, we formed the club for the multicultural community,” she said.
“When I first started, I said I’d do it for a couple of years, just to keep me going, but here I am still there and it’s still keeping me going.”
She’s been president of the multicultural group for the past 10 years, and is still treasurer of the Maltese group.
Through her work, Ms Vella regularly visits sick members in hospitals and nursing homes, and said the most rewarding part was knowing she made a difference in someone’s day.
“When people say ‘thank you for giving us a place to go’, or when I visit the sick and they say thank you, that’s the best part,” she said.
“I try and visit the sick people and the elderly, and they love that we’re thinking of them.
“But I didn’t do anything to get paid or recognised, what I did, I did from the bottom of my heart. I just love helping people.”
