Margaret Jopling had to stop and think when asked where she volunteers her time.
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The Aldavilla woman spreads herself among many facets of the Macleay community, from sport, to art, education and social work.
Among the list is PCYC in Kempsey where she volunteers about 14 hours of her week jumping between reception and customer service duties, helping with kids classes and the gardening group.
Yesterday, May 17, she was a helper at a children's cooking class and tomorrow, May 19, she will be a part of the Friday night activities hosted by the PCYC.
"It's the special free night they have for kids. Just the general 'keep them off the streets and give them something to do and feed them' where they can have a good time and kept under control," she said.
Ms Jopling in a volunteer staff member at Dunghutti-Ngaku Aboriginal Art Gallery in South Kempsey and the volunteer coordinator at the Macleay River Historical Society Museum where she spends her Sundays and other days "as needed", and helps with special events.
As a life-long swimmer, she is the Treasurer of Kempsey Swimming Club assisting at club nights, carnivals and swimming lessons for both children and adults.
Her commitment to the sporting community doesn't stop there.
Ms Jopling can also be found teaching the 'Balance and Bones' exercise class at Kempsey Macleay Valley University of the Third Age, known as U3A. She is on the committee and their Social Coordinator while making time to also take classes.
If you attended the recent Iron Man Challenge in Port Macquarie, you may have been 'crowd controlled' by Ms Jopling during her early morning six hour shift.
When asked why she volunteers so much of her time every week for her community, Ms Jopling made note of John F Kennedy's Inaugural address in 1961 when he said 'ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country'.
"I reckon that, especially here in Kempsey at the present time, it should be the same thing. What can anybody do for the community [and] not expect the government or the tax payers to be giving them stuff all the time.
"Too many people just sit there and say 'somebody should give us a grant' to do something rather than doing anything themselves," she said.
National Volunteer Week is celebrated in Australia from 15-21 May with the theme for 2023 as 'The Change Makers'.
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