Let's meet some of the volunteers making a difference in our city.
Meals on Wheels: Delivering for our community
Tucked away on a quiet street, you’ll find the distribution centre for Meals on Wheels.
In NSW, over 14,000 volunteers deliver nutritious hot and cold meals. The City of Sydney’s Meals on Wheels service has 25 volunteers who deliver around 50,000 meals each year to people who need extra support.
The meals help residents who can’t shop or cook for themselves. Just as important, the visits give people a chance to connect and have a friendly chat.
Paul has been volunteering with Meals on Wheels since he retired. He was inspired by his mum, who used to deliver meals in their regional hometown. He hopes the service will still be around if he ever can’t cook for himself, so he can stay living at home.
Paul says it's not just about the food – it's also about meeting people. "One of the things I miss about working, is the time I had with colleagues. Volunteering means I have new colleagues that I can chat to."
Sydney City Farm: Our urban farm takes a lot of love and care
In the heart of Sydney Park in St Peters is Sydney City Farm. It’s a place to learn about urban agriculture and sustainable food production. Volunteers help grow fresh seasonal produce which is donated to local charities.
Volunteers can help in the nursery to raise seedlings, collect seeds, work in the orchard or get stuck into weeding and planting. They also share their expertise and passion with others helping at education programs and community events.
Long-time volunteer Ruth said “The best thing about volunteering at Sydney City Farm is the variety of people who volunteer, and also being outside in the environment. For anyone thinking about volunteering, just give it a go. You don’t have to make a huge commitment and you will definitely learn something about growing and using food that you didn’t know before.”
In 2024/25, volunteers produced more than 753kg of fresh food for local charities.
Wrap with Love: The local charity warming the world one knit at a time
The entirely volunteer-run organisation operates out of a City of Sydney-owned warehouse in Alexandria – but its impact is global. Since it was set up in 1992, Wrap with Love has gifted more than 600,000 handmade wraps to people in need around the world.
Wraps are knitted and collected from individual volunteers and groups around Australia. Each blanket is made from 28 individual knitted or crocheted squares, sewn together. They’re totally unique – and a literal labour of love.
There are nearly 200 volunteer knitting or crochet groups listed on the Wrap with Love website you can join. You can contribute a square or complete an entire wrap, then deliver it to the warehouse or a local drop-off point.
For those who don’t knit, volunteers meet at the Alexandria warehouse to sort, pack and assemble wraps or help with administrative work.
Bronwyn Mascord, a retired nurse, said the people she has met are the best thing for her about volunteering. But it also allows her to practise her lifelong commitment to caring for others.
“A lot of the people here are like me and were previously in caring professions. I’d feel lost if I wasn’t doing something for somebody,” she said.
Thank you to all our volunteers across our city for their time and passion. If you'd like to explore volunteering, see our latest volunteer opportunities.
Published 19 May 2026
