Rosterfy: Introducing our 100 millionth hour volunteer!
Meet Rosterfy's 100 millionth hour volunteer - Lauren Raftopoulus!
This month, organisations using our Volunteer Management System reached a significant milestone - a total of 100 million hours of volunteering has been achieved!
With a bit of clever detective work in the backend of the system, the team at Rosterfy managed to track down the lucky volunteer who helped us tick over our 100 millionth hour on the system.
Drum roll please…. Introducing Lauren Raftopoulus!
Lauren Raftopoulus pictured alongside Rosterfy's Chairm,an, David Kirk and CEO, Bennett Merriman
Based in Melbourne, Australia, Lauren came across Rosterfy through her affiliation with the Carlton College of Sport, which has seen her undertake a number of volunteer placements to supplement her study and gain relevant experience in her field.
The Carlton College of Sport offers their students the opportunity to study in a high performance environment, which includes multiple volunteer placements within the community to better understand what a career in sport might look like.
We sat down with Lauren in our new Melbourne offices to congratulate her and learn more about what volunteering means to her.
How does it feel to have completed Rosterfy’s 100 millionth volunteer hour?
“I’m in shock! I know Rosterfy has clients all over the world so it’s crazy that I’m somehow the one who’s helped them to tick over this impressive milestone.”
Why do you choose to volunteer?
“I’ve recently commenced my Diploma in Sport Coaching and Development and as part of that we’re encouraged to volunteer within the community to better understand how sports operate and the career opportunities available to us.
I’ve only completed 20 or so hours but I’ve really been enjoying it. Before volunteering, I had no idea how many different roles there were in a club…. I think when you consider a career in sport you automatically think of Head Coach but there is so much more to it than that! From Physios to Fan Engagement and Community Activations, volunteering has provided me with great exposure to opportunities I otherwise might not have been aware of.”
Have you had a personal highlight volunteering?
“Recently I helped to run “Charlie’s Crew Clinic” which invited kids to join Charlie Curnow and Patrick Cripps from Carlton Football Club for a fun day of activities. It was great to see how an event like this came together and the smiles on the kids' faces was just amazing!”
What has been your experience using Rosterfy?
“Rosterfy has been great to use! When a volunteer placement opportunity becomes available, we’re quickly notified to take a look at the listings within Rosterfy. It’s great having all the details in one place, making it easy to view what’s available, time commitments and the opportunities within the role itself.
As volunteer placements are a part of our study program, it’s also great to have one central location for all my past volunteer activities. I’m looking forward to looking back at the end of the year on everything I’ve managed to achieve!
Outside of volunteering and studying, what are you passionate about?
“I love my sport. It’s why I’m really committed to making a career out of it!
Volunteering has proved to be a great way to understand how sports in general operate and the different roles available within a club. I love playing softball and baseball - my teams are GEMSA and Dingley and I also score for the Eastern Bucks!
I was actually unable to play sports last year due to injury and the club was so accommodating and encouraging to keep me involved that I decided to complete my Level 1 & 2 scoring accreditation. I’m in the process of completing my Level 3 certification as it was a great way to give back to the sport.
When I'm not playing sports, I love watching sports, especially supporting the North Melbourne Kangaroos. Very excited for the AFLW to get back up and running to hopefully celebrate a few more wins!”