A lifetime committed to helping others

For Greg O’Brien, 72, those are the very reasons he has dedicated 53 years of his life to volunteering; put simply, to help and be there for others.

Growing up beside five siblings, now married with a daughter and grandchild, Greg has lived a life that reflects both individual growth and a passion for helping and inspiring the youth of his era.

Although at the tender age of just 19 when he started volunteering, he was unsure of the full impact his contribution would have.

“I think I realised I was making a difference when a 12-year-old told me I want to be like you — later on he did volunteer as a youth leader for several years,” Greg said.

Over the decades, Greg has become the kind of steady presence that others lean on — quietly shaping lives, offering guidance, and showing up time and time again when it matters most.

Some of the organisations Greg has given his time to include the Australian Air League for 52 years, Pathfinders for five years and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme for around 20 years.

At times he has helped at youth camps, and now he is the commanding officer for the Australian Cadet Corps, Shepparton Cadet Unit.

His contributions have not gone unnoticed, but like many volunteers, Greg never volunteered for any recognition.

That quiet impact became clear one day while Greg was manning a stand, when a young man approached and called him by name.

After sitting with him for five minutes and reliving their connection, that very man told him he had saved his life.

“We went aside to have a chat and he shocked the living daylights out of me,” Greg said.

“He went on to tell me I had saved his life one week, as he had planned on suicide. I did not realise he was going through this.

“He told me that I had sat down with him the day before he planned to do it, but apparently I started talking about what a fantastic future he had, and explained why I thought so and told him he was a great role model.

“He said after that talk he changed his mind. It was then he said to me, ‘how can I help you help others?’”

Saying that volunteering gives people a sense of community, friendships and self-worth, alongside building character and teaching you humility, Greg also said the biggest lesson he had learnt was that everybody was different.

Noting that not one person is perfect, nor the same, and everyone can help others even if it’s just for an hour a week.

For Greg, volunteering means community, it means family, and in the late 1980s he learnt how true this really was after losing a child to a heart condition.

“I never realised until then that I in turn need people’s support, but fellow volunteers came out of the woodwork and propped me up,” he said.

“A community is like an extended family, you take care of family.

“You only get out of a community what you put in, as you never know when you might need their help in return.

“In the two and a half years we have lived in Greater Shepparton, we have made friends mostly through community involvement.”

Today, Greg’s passion for volunteering remains unwavering, just as it was all those years ago.

He does it because he continues to care for those around him and inspire the youth of today to have a fulfilling life.

But what he is most proud of is watching young kids grow — seeing the happy smiles on the girls and boys, teens and youth who appreciate and enjoy learning new things while making lifelong friends.

“At times volunteering is like being on a very exciting roller coaster, because like all things it has its ups and downs,” Greg said.

“I’ve watched many young people grow into fantastic adults, community leaders and business owners.

“With the short time I was involved in their lives, I like to think I helped a little with them becoming who they are today.

“We do it because we care and want to help people around us have a better life.”