A local Bongaree volunteer has achieved state-wide recognition after being named a finalist in the prestigious annual Queensland Volunteering Awards, which celebrated the massive collective impact of nearly fifty thousand community champions across the state.
Janelle Clarke, representing the Bribie Island Church of Christ Op Shop in Bongaree, was named a finalist for the Queensland Volunteer of the Year Award. This recognition places her among the top tier of community contributors across the entire state.
The event highlighted how small, local efforts connect to a massive network of support systems keeping regional communities running. Clarke’s work at the local op shop was thrust into the spotlight alongside other major state groups, showing how crucial neighborhood-level support is to everyday people.
The ceremony acknowledged the massive scale of unpaid help across the state, bringing together representatives for 49,722 individual volunteers who were nominated across six different categories. Out of 275 total nominations submitted this year, only 21 finalists and eight final recipients were chosen.
Among the major individual winners was Carolyn Robinson from Beyond DV, who took home the top Volunteer of the Year honor. Other major individual winners included Jaylyn Rongo for youth volunteering, Phillip Smith for a specialized fundraising campaign, Roger Whyte for lifetime service to rugby league, and Nicole Ashley for excellence in managing volunteer teams.
Organisers noted that the ceremony coincided with the United Nations International Year of Volunteers. Community leaders mentioned that this year’s acknowledgment feels especially important due to the ongoing cost of living pressures that many families face.
As the demand for local services rises across Queensland, unpaid workers are acting as the steady hands holding neighborhoods together. The awards also highlighted organizational impact, giving top marks to Foodbank Queensland for community food relief, Sunshine Coast Health for public sector programs, and Origin Energy for corporate backing.
Published Date 20-May-2026
Photo Credit: Volunteering Queensland
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