Volunteers are the lifeblood of Marrickville Legal Centre – their dedication enables us to connect even more people in the community to justice.
Vollie Vox is a campaign dedicated to showcasing and interviewing one excellent volunteer a month. This month we’re celebrating Cynthia Nwankwo, who started volunteering at Marrickville Legal Centre back in February this year. Cynthia was nominated for her kindness, enthusiasm, and passion in supporting our clients and the community.
What inspired you to start volunteering at MLC, and what keeps you coming back?
I’ve always held a great interest in the law, but I wanted to apply myself to the discipline in a way that intersects with some of my greatest passions – advocacy and community building. The support from my supervisors and solicitors has made me feel like this is a team effort, making me more confident as a volunteer to have difficult conversations with complex matters and never feel like I’m on my own. This, along with the shared passion of my fellow vollies keeps me going!
How do you feel your role makes a difference for our clients and community?
Being the first line of communication for people in incredibly stressful situations is certainly a significant place to be. I feel like my role has such a value in setting a client and the solicitor up for success, offering clarity, empathy, and a plan that they can look forward to and get the most out of their experience at MLC. I believe building that trust and relationship inevitably helps heal some of the vulnerabilities within the community— we all want to know there’s a shoulder to lean on that will treat us with dignity and respect above all, and I think this role is critical to establishing that relationship.
What skills have you gained while volunteering at MLC?
I have become much more effective in my communication from volunteering at MLC. I understand the importance of specificity, concision, and direction better each and every shift. I’ve become more confident in tackling challenging scenarios without getting overwhelmed. Finally, I’ve become someone who sees asking questions as a show of effective work, and confidence, never shying away from requesting clarification on any task or matter.
What’s something that surprised you when you first started volunteering at MLC?
I was surprised at how much of an impact I could make on clients with incredibly difficult matters just through communication. The importance of being heard for people in vulnerable situations became incredibly clear to me after just a couple of shifts, and it made me feel proud to be part of that sense of relief and hope in any way. Additionally, I found that despite how heavy matters can be, everyone at MLC maintained this innate positivity and drive to keep pursuing this work each day with palpable energy.
How would you describe MLC to someone thinking about getting involved?
I would describe this as one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever taken part in without having a significant barrier to entry. I came in without a great deal of experience with Australian law, just a desire to help and interest in learning. From the jump, I was given opportunities to learn by doing which made things stick and allowed me to understand the process very quickly. The supervisors are so incredibly knowledgeable and always willing to help, making it easy to get started. The environment of the office is very comfortable and inviting, offering an opportunity to take a breather or a beat whenever you need to. Very quickly, I realized that any free morning or afternoon I had, I wanted to spend it at MLC!
