Emily Waru is a young woman who prefers to contribute to our community in silence, but it is hard to ignore the hours of effort she puts into her volunteer work.
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Ms Waru volunteers for organisations such as Nanna's Touch, Lithgow Show society, The Cancer Council and a Christmas gift drive she self-initiated.
Ms Waru's dedication to charity work and other community organisations began while she was attending school in Bathurst.
"I was doing work for the Cancer Council and everything, then school finished and I was doing bits and pieces. Then they ran a Cancer Council event in Lithgow. So I did that," Ms Waru said.
"And then after that, I was bored and I just put out feelers on to the Lithgow pages."
The COVID-19 pandemic didn't slow Ms Waru down, in fact it inspired her rally the community together to ensure a good christmas for those in need.
"I created a little gift drive for Christmas, in 2020 at the start of COVID, just by myself. I still had a job, and I realized that a lot of the people wouldn't," Ms Waru said.
"I really like Christmas, so I decided that I could help make somebody else's Christmas. I could help a couple of families out with Christmas gifts or whatever else. So I did that by myself."
With the help of Nanna's Touch, who Ms Waru volunteers for, the gift drive has grown significantly since those early years.
According to Ms Waru, deciding which charities and organisations to volunteer for involves matching her skills to assist and her passion for their cause.
"It's more like what I could do with them? And what is within my scope of things that I like," Ms Waru said.
"But then also it's things that I want to see a change in as well, that gravitate towards."
Ms Waru was recognised for her dedication to the Lithgow community on Australia Day this year when she received the 'Young Citizen of the Year' award.
While the award was appreciated by Ms Waru, she admitted that she doesn't want recognition for her work.
"Honestly, I don't like recognition. I don't like people going, "Oh, good job for that." It's just something that I feel like we should all do," Ms Waru said.
"And I feel like it's something that shouldn't just be one person."
Hard work hasn't come without its challenges for Ms Waru, and hers is to find other locals who share her passion for the community.
"Getting other volunteers on board to help with things that I want to do. It's really difficult," Ms Waru said.
"That's the main challenge I face."
Ms Waru said that one of the things she loves most about being a woman in Lithgow is how the community support her endeavours.
"I don't know if it's me, personally, or whether it's people in the community, but I think the support that I get given whenever I take on something is really good. I really like that," Ms Waru said.
According to Ms Waru, one of the challenges that come with being a woman in the area can be a lack of connection to other women.
"I think there is a lack of known support and a lack of a sense of community within women in our community because of various reasons," Ms Waru said.
"I think that's probably the most challenging."
Ms Waru's advice for women of Lithgow is: "Try new things all the time. You meet the best people that way."
Reidun Berntsen
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
