National Volunteer Week is just around the corner from the 19th to the 25th of May, and it’s a time to recognise and celebrate the generous people who give their time to help others thrive.
We are incredibly proud to honour our beautiful community of Pyjama Angels: volunteers who bring connection, stability, and hope to vulnerable children in our community.
In the lead-up to this special week, we want to shine a light on some of our long-standing Pyjama Angels whose unwavering dedication has helped shape the lives of countless children. Among them is Penni, a quiet achiever whose story captures the true spirit of being a Pyjama Angel. Since 2006, she has been a steady and compassionate presence in the lives of children, showing up week after week with patience and kindness.
Meet Penni!
Penni’s journey began in 2005 when she read an article in The Courier Mail. "I love kids and reading, and I worked part-time, so I followed up," she recalls. Just a few months later, she completed her Pyjama Angel training and was matched with her first child, beginning a connection that would last six years!
Over the next 18 years, Penni would mentor five more children, each child benefiting from her warmth, patience, and encouragement. In 2018, she also began volunteering at The Pyjama Foundation’s Head Office, offering her time and talent behind the scenes!
Her story is full of meaningful memories and incredible impact. In 2009, one of the children she mentored wrote her a heartfelt poem, a beautiful token of appreciation.
This is the magic of a Pyjama Angel. Not just in helping a child learn to read or count, but in showing them they are worthy of time, attention, and belief. “I love feeling like I am helping kids to realise their potential, support them in their hopes, just be that person who turns up every week and is interested in them,” Penni shares. That simple act of turning up, again and again, is what builds trust and fosters real change.
Today, Penni continues her volunteering with a new little learner, now in his second year of school. These relationships aren’t always easy, but they’re always worth it. “Some days he loves me, wants to show me his new skills, and some days he is not interested in any learning activity,” Penni says of her current young learner, who is just beginning school. “So, we do something he does want to do—read a book, play a board game, build Lego—or I go home and try again the next week.” Her flexibility and understanding are a reminder that the most valuable thing a Pyjama Angel can offer is consistency. Penni’s journey reminds us that while every Pyjama Angel commits to one year, the ripple effects of that time can last a lifetime.
To every Pyjama Angel who gives their time, energy, and heart—we see you, we thank you, and we celebrate you this National Volunteer Week. And to Penni: thank you for showing us what it means to be the person who continues to show up.
