Steve Adams has served the community almost all his life, first in the Australian Defence Forces (ADF), which he joined in 1975, and now with a mountain of organisations across his home in Bingara.
Steve said he started volunteering pretty much from day one after finishing up with the Air Force and moving with his wife to Bingara in 1996.
His motivation for volunteering stems from his time in the ADF. The sense of camaraderie and the belief that “family looks after each other” has stayed with him. Living in a close-knit community like Bingara, he feels a strong sense of responsibility to help his neighbours.
“For me personally, my mentality for volunteering comes back to my ADF days, being in the defence forces, we are one big family, we look after each other,” Steve said.
“Also being in the defence forces, using the word that starts with an N and ends with an O doesn’t really come into the equation; you do what you’re asked, that’s the approach I’ve taken with volunteering. I’m always putting my hand up to help people, no doesn’t really come into it,” he added.
A town of dedicated volunteers
Steve’s passion and commitment for bettering his community have seen him volunteer for a wide range of causes and organisations over the years. He says the best part for him is contributing to the “welfare of the community,” and helping to create a “vibrant town.”
He has been involved with Bingara Tennis, served as the secretary-treasurer of the NSW Farmers Association in Bingara, Landcare NSW, and the Lions Club, to name just a few. At the same time, Steve has been a dedicated member of the Bingara RSL Sub Branch since 1998.
Recently, he also took on an instructor job with the Inverell Airforce Cadets and became a rider for Bloodbikes, an organisation that transports blood and medical supplies for hospitals free of charge.
According to Steve, he is in good company living at Bingara because the town is a hotbed of volunteers. He says this fact was perfectly illustrated by Bingara’s Heart Beats community support and volunteer group information day back in March.
“All the volunteer groups in Bingara joined together on the day, there were 42 of them, and quite a few of us were table swapping because we are all part of multiple groups. I truly think volunteers are very important for the betterment of the community,” Steve said.
“If you look at any volunteer organisation, they might get funding from a corporate body or government or whatever, but they still need volunteers on the ground, local interaction, raising funds, and things like that. Those organisations don’t run just on money, they run on volunteers,” he added.
Helping veterans always a worthy cause
Only two years after moving to Bingara, Steve joined the local RSL Sub Branch, where he is currently secretary treasurer, a post he has held for quite some time.
During his time volunteering, he says there have been many highlights and memorable moments that have stayed with him, but a recent one with the RSL is fresh and left him “humbled,” knowing the effect it had on the lives of those involved.
“We had some new members; one struggled with depression, while a few others lost their partners. Through the sub branch, we were able to create an environment for these people who were doing it tough, to meet up, socialise, and get out of the house,” he said.
“They had the chance to interact with people in a non threatening safe environment. Many of them have since become confident enough to end their social isolation and get back out into the community.”
Steve says his principles have been instilled in him over a lifetime, and he has done his best to pass this on to his own kids. A venture he thinks has been very successful.
“Every time I do something, I’m proud of what I do. I give 100%, people say I give 120%, and it comes back to what I can give back. My community has given to me, so I always look for ways to give back,” he said.
“My sons have come back to Bingara and we took on the post office a number of years back, and they are both of the same opinion: if you can give something back to the community, do it.”
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