Faces of Hope: Lia Dunton

Communications graduate Lia regularly volunteers with Fight Cancer Foundation

This month we introduce you to Lia Dunton. As a media and communications graduate with a background in data management, Lia assists Fight Cancer Foundation staff with a wide range of tasks.

Lia’s personal experience with cancer motivates her to volunteer her time with Fight Cancer Foundation to help other families battling cancer.

How long have you been involved with Fight Cancer Foundation?

I recently became involved with Fight Cancer Foundation – I joined the team late last year.

What do you do? (What does this involve/look like?)

I’m helping out at Fight Cancer Foundation’s main office doing various administration tasks and helping out wherever I’m needed. At university I studied media and communications, and have been able to use that knowledge to assist the Fundraising and Communications team. It has been great to expand my skill set while working for a cause I’m passionate about. I also have experience working in data, so I am always happy to help the donor support with their ongoing mail campaigns.

I’m also looking forward to getting more involved by helping out with major fundraising campaigns and events Fight Cancer Foundation hosts – Footy Colours Day and Red Ball. Event planning is an area I don’t have experience in so I am looking forward to getting involved and learning about what goes on behind the scenes of a big fundraising event.

How did you become involved?

I wanted to use my free time to engage with the wider community and assist people who are dedicated to helping others. I reached out to Fight Cancer Foundation about getting involved and have been coming into the office fortnightly since.

The team has been so welcoming and enthusiastic about my participation since day one. They’ve given me a great opportunity to learn in a new working environment, and I look forward to my days working with the Fight Cancer Foundation team. I really appreciate the exposure I am getting to so many different aspects of their work.

Why do you choose to volunteer your time with Fight Cancer Foundation?

I think it’s a great organisation, and volunteering with Fight Cancer Foundation allows me to learn about the inner workings of a not for profit organisation. I’ve worked for larger companies in the past and currently work for a small business – the not for profit sector is one that I would like to gain more experience in. I’m eager to further my understanding of how organisations like Fight Cancer Foundation operate, from day-to-day tasks to big campaigns and events, as well as partnerships and engagement with the wider community.

Of course, I also chose Fight Cancer Foundation for its cause. Everyone I know has someone in their lives who has been affected by cancer. From my personal experiences I have learnt that when someone you love is sick with something as serious as cancer, it’s not just a disease – it’s a journey that is all consuming for that person, their family and friends.

When my dad was sick, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by overwhelming support from my network and community, but I understand that this is not the case for everyone. This is why I also volunteer at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (soon to be Fight Cancer Foundation’s neighbours at the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre) I want to be involved in care and initiatives that help to support people with cancer and their families. I think its important to participate however you can in things that you feel passionate about that fall outside of everyday work and social commitments.