The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) would not be what it is today without the support of our Lifetime Volunteers, Sonia, Kristin and Janet. These three talented volunteers have been supporting the ILF by volunteering for many years.
As ILF CEO, Ben, said, “Our volunteers have been with the ILF for longer than any of the staff, supporting us from the beginning. We are so grateful to have these lifetime connections with passionate individuals in our team.”
Sonia Palmisano has been volunteering with the ILF for over eight years. This makes her one of the longest-serving ILF team members!
Sonia is the Marketing and PR Manager for children’s books at Bloomsbury Publishing.
Bloomsbury has allowed Sonia to spend one morning each week volunteering for the ILF, writing and scheduling social media posts.
“Having Sonia to help me find content has been absolutely vital to my work” said ILF’s Marketing Assistant, Ella.
“I work part-time, and I have a lot of other responsibilities on top of Social Media. Knowing I have Sonia there to help me out has been amazing and I honestly don’t know how I would've managed without her.”
Sonia reflected on this role, and explained that “Volunteering at ILF has changed my life! Because I spend one morning a week looking at articles about Indigenous news and culture, I have learned so much about Indigenous issues, and discovered amazing authors, musicians, companies and products. So it’s literally changed everything from the books I read, the music I listen to, and the food that I eat!”
Being an avid reader herself, Sonia was excited to volunteer when her boss mentioned the opportunity back in 2013.
“I’ve always been passionate about literacy, perhaps because my dad struggled with reading from a young age. Reading is something I’ve always loved, but I never took my ability to read for granted,” explained Sonia.
When she first started, the Foundation was very different. ILF’s programs mainly focused on the Book Supply and Book Buzz programs, providing books and literacy resources to remote Communities.
Sonia even travelled with the ILF to Katherine for the launch of the Binjari books, she has hosted annual Great Book Swaps at her workplace, and advocated for the ILF throughout the year in a number of different ways.
Ella said that “I believe our Social Media plays a big role in the lives of many people. We have over 100,000 followers and we have been able to educate people about First Nations cultures, languages, and histories through our activism. Sonia has played a big role in that!”
“She is also an extremely passionate, kind, hard-working and outgoing person who has a connection with the entire ILF team.”
“I have been volunteering for the ILF since its conception, when it was known as the Indigenous Literacy Project and run in partnership with the Fred Hollows Foundation” said ILF Lifetime Volunteer, Kristin Gill.
Her first connection with the ILF was through the founder Suzy Wilson. Kristin was formerly on ILF's Board and now volunteers as ILF’s Ambassador Manager and has assisted Relationships Manager, David Stewart.
“Kristin's knowledge of both the work of the ILF and the bookselling and publishing industries is very important to us. She is a real asset for us at the ILF!” explained David.
Reflecting on her role, Kristin said that she loves the grassroots nature of the ILF and the tangible results it has achieved. “It appeals to my commitments to equal access to all things for all children. In this case, beautiful books and the opportunities and choices that literacy provides,” she said.
Volunteering has allowed Kristin too use her immense skillset to make a positive difference. She takes pride in knowing that the money she helps raise opens doors and opportunities for children living in remote Communities.
Having worked for the Book Industry for over 30 years, Kristin is very experienced. More recently, she has her own Literary Events business in Victoria, called Northern Books.
“It is not possible to explain the effect that Kristin has on the ILF. Ambassadors complete any organisation and without Kristin to help build connections and relationships with them, our work would be a lot harder,” said ILF CEO Ben Bowen.
Another volunteer who has been vital to ILF’s operations since its conception is Janet Hutchinson.
Janet currently writes many of ILF’s articles and assists occasionally with social media content. Before COVID-19 restrictions, she was a regular volunteer at ILF events.
“I have helped out with Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD) events at the Sydney Opera House, at Byron Writers Festival in 2019, and at the launch of the books by the Binjari women in Katherine in 2017,” she explained.
Janet has also supported the ILF by stuffing envelopes, making runs to the post office, packing boxes, accompanying Ambassadors to school visits, assembling Great Book Swap kits, and researching, writing and editing for ILF’s newsletters and other publications.
Outside of her volunteering, Janet is a literary mentor for the Australian Society of Authors and works as a freelance writing and publishing consultant.
“I first heard about the ILF when I ran into David Gaunt of Gleebooks. I mentioned that I’d like to get involved with ILF. The rest is pretty much history!”
When Janet first started with the ILF, there was only a few staff working alongside the founder, Suzy Wilson, and some people from the Book Industry.
“I was struck from the outset by the dedication, deep commitment, and sustained determination to help address literacy in remote Indigenous Communities across the country,” said Janet.
Janet is extremely respected by ILF’s Programs team and the people she liaises with across the country. Her kindness, understanding, generosity and intelligence is deeply appreciated.
Marketing Coordinator, Emma, has seen the value of Janet’s work for the ILF. “Being able to attend events again would not be possible without the help of our Lifetime Volunteers and Janet in particular.
Janet is extremely passionate and experienced and her work is vital to our operations here!” says Emma.
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation works as an initiative of the Australian Book Industry with the support of:
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Indigenous Literacy Foundation is registered with the ACNC and is a Public Benevolent Institution with DGR1 and TCC status.
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