For 30 years, Helen McLeod has been a familiar face at Mercy Place Rice Village in Geelong.
From the day the aged care community opened its doors, Helen has volunteered her time helping build the warm and connected environment residents still experience today.
Now aged 80 and living in an independent living unit at Rice Village herself, Helen still volunteers every Thursday, leading a choir for residents living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
National Volunteer Week 2026 also marked the 30-year anniversary of Mercy Place Rice Village, making the milestone especially meaningful for Helen.
Inspired by the Choir of Hard Knocks, Helen started the choir two years ago after noticing how residents in the dementia care unit responded to music and companionship during mass.
Each week, residents living with Alzheimer’s and dementia come together to sing classics including “Yellow Submarine” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, with the sessions helping to spark memories, encourage movement and foster connection.
“Music has a way of reaching people when words sometimes can’t,” Helen said. “We see residents who are often quiet, withdrawn or confused suddenly start singing every word, smiling and tapping along. For that moment, the music brings back memories, comfort and a real sense of joy.”
Helen said her passion for caring for older people began growing up in Geelong alongside her grandparents and elderly aunt.
“I used to sit on my grandfather’s knee singing hymns and helping him in the garden,” she said. “That shaped the way I see ageing and community.”
Before volunteering, Helen worked as a specialist medical secretary for 45 years before moving into pastoral care volunteering at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
When Rice Village first opened, Helen helped establish the Friends of Rice Village volunteer group, raising funds for furniture and helping create a welcoming community for residents.
Following the loss of her husband just before Victoria’s COVID lockdowns, Helen said volunteering and the friendships she formed through Rice Village became even more important.
“While there is sadness in losing friends along the way, volunteering has brought me great joy and purpose for three decades,” she said. This National Volunteer Week, Helen’s story reflects the lasting impact volunteers have in creating connection, companionship and community for older Australians.
