How volunteering means contributing to something greater than yourself
- Breannah Mitchell
- Jan 5
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 3
Act of love & Joy
My name is Breannah. I was born in Hervey Bay, and I feel lucky to call this place my home. I am passionate about many things, and a lot of those passions involve volunteering. I believe that volunteering is contributing to something greater than yourself—an act of giving without expecting anything in return. Through this act of service, you are giving back to something you truly care about.
Donating money to save the (K'gari) Fraser Island Dingoes:
When I was 12 years old, I really wanted to become a balloon artist. Being dyslexic, I was able to come up with all sorts of balloon designs in my head. I wasn’t sure if I was very good, but I was passionate about helping to save the (K'gari) Fraser Island dingoes at the time.
I attended a teddy bears’ picnic event and donated the money I earned to the cause. In return, the experience built my confidence and helped me turn my passion into a small business, which allowed me to save up for my first film camera.
Volunteering for Dunga Derby Rally for a Cause
When I was 18, I began volunteering as a filmmaker for a local charity event called the Dunga Derby Rally for a Cause. The Dunga Derby is a major fundraising event that supports the Rally for a Cause charity, helping Fraser Coast families facing life-limiting medical conditions with financial or practical assistance.
As a passionate young filmmaker, donating my time to film the Dunga Derby was incredibly rewarding experience. I knew that my videos could encourage potential sponsors and participants to get involved in such an amazing cause. At the same time, the charity gave something back to me by allowing me to showcase my skills and gain hands-on experience in filmmaking.
The Dunga Derby, along with its amazing volunteers and rally participants, has raised over $5 million since it began in 2015. This funding has supported more than 400 families across the Fraser Coast and Sunshine Coast regions. Their recent events have contributed significantly—raising $601,446 in 2025 for the Fraser Coast alone!
Dunga Derby Rally for a Cause:
Volunteering for Turtles in Trouble Rescue
In 2022, my mum, Sharon, came across an article on Facebook seeking people to participate in Citizen Science and help rescue sick and injured turtles on the Fraser Coast. When I was little, I always dreamed of becoming a vet. As I grew older, I realised I was more of a creative person, but my love for caring for animals never faded.
My family and I jumped at the opportunity to help. We were so grateful that we didn’t need a university degree to make a difference. Turtles in Trouble Rescue Inc. was desperately seeking volunteers, as turtles were suffering from a rare condition called soft shell syndrome.
Soft-shell syndrome is a serious condition where the turtles shell becomes soft, ulcerated, and exposed bone, often linked to environmental stressors like floods, pollution, habitat destruction (seagrass loss), causing malnutrition and weakened immune systems, making turtles susceptible to secondary infections.
Volunteering with Turtles In Trouble Rescue Inc., I learned all about rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing sea turtles. I even had the opportunity to transport sick turtles in my van to Australia Zoo, Sea Life, and Sea World for rehabilitation, and then return them home to the Fraser Coast region after their recovery. It was an extremely rewarding experience and brought me closer to fulfilling one of my dreams of becoming a wildlife warrior. I also had the opportunity to capture video content for Turtles in Trouble Rescue, which they were able to use across their social media platforms.
Turtles In Trouble Rescue (TITR) has grown significantly, starting with just 13 members in 2021 and training over 130 volunteers by March 2025. The organisation now has more than 100 active volunteers involved in sea turtle rescue and conservation efforts across the Fraser Coast region.
Turtles In Trouble Rescue (TITR):
How Non-Profit Organisations and Business can Support Each Other:
I learned a lot from my time volunteering with the Dunga Derby and how their business model worked so effectively. When Turtles In Trouble Rescue Inc. desperately needed a van, I approached one of my film clients, Port City Autos, about lending a vehicle to support the turtles. Within six months, Turtles In Trouble Rescue had their own Hospital Turtle Van!
My experience with Dunga Derby taught me not to be afraid to ask for help—the community can achieve amazing things when they see a real need.
Becoming a CoralWatch Ambassador
I’ve always had a deep love for the ocean ever since I was a little girl. In 2022, I first learned about CoralWatch during a glass-bottom boat experience at Lady Musgrave Island. Not many people were aware that Hervey Bay has coral reefs, so I felt it was vital to raise awareness about these unique inshore reefs.
My mum, Sharon, and I attended a CoralWatch Teacher Workshop on Moreton Island, as we both had backgrounds as teacher aides. During the workshop, we learned the basics of CoralWatch and how it could be implemented in schools. Later that year, we both successfully applied for the CoralWatch Ambassador Program on Heron Island. As part of the application process, we submitted our individual backgrounds and shared our vision we had, to raise awareness about Hervey Bay coral reefs. One of the things I loved most about becoming an ambassador was that a university degree was not required to apply just my passion and enthusiasm.
The workshop consisted of four days on Heron Island at the University of Queensland research centre, where we learned all about the Coral Health Chart, coral biology, science communication and how to educate the public on threats to coral reefs and ways they can help protect them. I couldn’t recommend becoming a CoralWatch ambassador enough—it fulfilled a lifelong dream of learning more about our coral reefs and how we can protect them. I truly feel that the ocean is a very healing place—and it needs healing too.
Becoming a CoralWatch Ambassador has completely changed my life and has been incredibly rewarding. I love being able to connect with scientists, citizen scientists, fellow ambassadors, collaborate with other non-for profit organisations, sponsors and other ocean lovers! I’ve had the opportunity to speak at Council Chambers and appear on Channel 7, Channel 9, and the ABC about issues I truly care about when it comes to the protection of our Hervey Bay coral reefs. I’ve also planned community events focused on educating others about our reefs. Awareness is everything, and starting conversations about difficult topics is where real change begins!
Using your skills to make an impact:
Although I am not a scientist, I began documenting, filming, and photographing my experiences out on the reef and sharing them on our Hervey Bay CoralWatch Facebook page. This helped people see that these coral reefs do exist and encouraged many to explore them for themselves. I love that I’ve been able to combine my two passions—filmmaking and conservation—into one meaningful journey.
I created a documentary on the Hervey Bay coral reefs titled Corals on Your Doorstep. Corals on Your Doorstep is a two-time award-winning documentary at the Fraser Shorts Film Festival, directed and filmed by Breannah Mitchell.
Being a Sponsor:
If you can’t volunteer but still want to contribute, becoming a sponsor can make a world of difference. Sponsorship can support non-for-profit organisations in many ways—such as providing materials, funding education programs, covering travel, or assisting with administrative costs. In return, your business or organisation may be recognised for its generous contribution.
So, if you know of a non-for-profit organisation you’d love to support, becoming a sponsor—no matter how big or small—can help them achieve so much.
Working together to make a better world:
Together, we can be the change—it all comes down to you! You might think you are a nobody, but trust me, your voice is powerful. You don’t need to volunteer to be useful; simply talking to people about your passions and what you care about can light a fire in someone else’s heart. Hopefully, they too will be inspired to make a positive impact in this world.
No matter your background or experience level all you really need is passion and a big heart!
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