Nooria’s story: Celebrating National Youth Volunteer Week
When 24-year-old Nooria started looking for a place to volunteer, she wasn’t drawn to the busiest cause; she was drawn to the quietest gap.
“I wanted to help people where they are getting the least help,” she explained.
When she was first considering volunteering, Nooria had seen friends apply at high-profile organisations like the Salvation Army – important work, but never short of hands. Court Network was different.
“I saw Court Network and thought I could help people who won’t otherwise be approached. I wanted to help people who are misunderstood.”
This year, Nooria became a Networker at Geelong Magistrates’ Court, supporting people navigating one of the most stressful, disorienting experiences of their lives.
Challenging biases
Ask Nooria what she’s learned since starting, and the answer isn’t just about the busy court environment, or even the people she has supported: it’s about herself. Coming from a multicultural background and having lived experience as a refugee, she assumed her own history had prevented her from developing bias.
“I thought I wasn’t judgmental or biased because of my background,” she said.
“But I’ve found that even still, there are some internal biases that I have, and I am working on them.”
It’s an honest thing to admit, and it also says a lot about what volunteering with Court Network does – the people who show up to support others often end up learning just as much about themselves.
For other young people considering volunteering, Nooria’s advice is direct:
“Volunteering as a young person is the best way to welcome yourself to the community. If you want to come out of the cocoon of being a child or teenager, this is the best way to see how the world is.” At Court Network in particular, she added, “we see some of the most stressful situations, so you can see how the world is.”
Alongside volunteering, Nooria works, and also studies a Bachelor of Criminology and Psychology. Her degree compliments the role, and she can see first-hand how some social, economic or psychologic vulnerabilities might impact court users.
“It can be busy,” she said about juggling work, volunteering and study.
“But you have something to go to every morning and come home at night saying I did something.”