There’s more to Antonia than Retail

Antonia Desousa joined ING almost 13 years ago and works as a Channel Performance Analyst, for the Third Party and Direct Mortgages teams. She’s also heavily involved in ING’s Cerebral Palsy Alliance mentoring program and volunteers at a homeless charity and The Wilderness Society in her spare time. This is her story, in her own words.

Volunteering has taught me the importance of being grateful.

It started a few years ago. I’d just come out of a long term relationship and I was reflecting on who I was and what I wanted to do with my life.

I’d always been a fan of Jay Shetty’s podcasts – he’s a former monk turned motivational speaker and talks about the act of servitude. That was something I could relate to. I was still working out what my ‘purpose’ was, but I knew I wanted to do more around volunteering and giving back to my community.

Taking the plunge

I’d heard of these amazing opportunities at ING, but for a long time I told myself I was too busy. Eventually it was my colleague Matt Pitt that convinced me to sign up for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Ignition program where you mentor young people to help them build their self-esteem, confidence and independence.

Being an Ignition mentor is intense and rewarding at the same time. You build this beautiful relationship with your mentee as you watch them grow and mature in just a few months. I’ve been involved with the CPA programs ever since.

Community spirit

It sparked my passion for volunteering, and that same year in 2017 I signed up for Birds of Passage, a charity that prepares and serves delicious hot meals to the rough sleepers of Woolloomooloo. I go at least twice a month now. I love chatting with the regulars and seeing faces I haven’t seen in a while because they’ve successfully secured accommodation. It’s what brings me joy.

Due to COVID-19 the organisation cancelled all volunteering activities for safety reasons - something I discovered when I rocked up one Monday with the full intention of still volunteering (after all, people experiencing homelessness still have to eat), and no one showed up! Since I can't get my fill of volunteering at the moment, I've increased my participation to three times a month once we're back to normal!

I have also been active in the environment and conservation space by becoming a Movement For Life volunteer with the Wilderness Society this year as well as continuing to support our Sustainability Manager, Nishara Miles, on a range of sustainability initiatives and volunteering ideas.

An important life lesson

Volunteering has taught me the importance of being grateful. It makes you value what you have in your life, your friends, loved ones, good health, a roof over your head, and a job.

It also makes you more accepting of other people as you don’t know what their situation is. Everyone has their problems, experiences some kind of suffering, or goes through tough times. Sometimes you just need to reach out and let them know you’re looking out for them, and that someone cares.

When you realise you’ve changed someone’s life simply by being there for them, it’s the most rewarding and fulfilling feeling in the universe.

At ING your whole self is welcome, and that's a promise. In this series employees share their personal activities outside their ‘regular’ job, revealing there is more to each person than just what you see at the office.