I am 30 years old from Echuca, Victoria and started volunteering with Look Good Feel Better in 2008. I have been a hairdresser for 13 years and have been employed as a senior stylist for the past 11 years.

I absolutely love my job and everything to do with the hair industry, and strongly believe in supporting my local community in the best way I can.

I had heard the Look Good Feel Better program being spoken about on the Oprah Winfrey show about 6 months before I joined as a volunteer. I went to work the day after seeing the segment all fired up about how amazing it would be to be involved in something like it, not realising it was running in Australia. I went overseas for a month and upon returning, signed up to be the wig demonstrator for the Echuca workshops.

What’s special to me about Look Good Feel Better is that we have the ability to directly impact the lives of people who are often at their most vulnerable. I enjoy being involved in people’s journeys and giving them the tools to make going through treatment just that little bit easier.

I find most participants who walk into a workshop are often feeling unsure of what to expect and uncertain of whether it can really make them feel better. By the end of each workshop there is laughter, smiles and an understanding that they aren’t alone in their journey. There’s a realisation that sometimes the smallest rituals – like putting on a little makeup each morning or adjusting their wig while looking in the mirror before walking out the door – are all the tools they need to make this time in their life just that fraction easier.

Aside from learning the tips and tricks to help combat the side effects of treatment, the participants also get to network with others in a similar situation, share stories and most importantly, laugh.

I would encourage anyone who is thinking of getting involved to do so. We get to help people when they are most in need and just being there for someone else is one of the most rewarding things about the whole experience.

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