Wyndham volunteer turns bottle refunds into lifeline for women in need

A Wyndham volunteer is using Victoria’s container deposit scheme refunds to provide practical support for women experiencing hardship, turning everyday recycling into small but meaningful acts of care.

Poonam Arora, who has lived in Truganina for 13 years, works in community and family services and teaches at university level. Her professional background includes more than a decade supporting people affected by family violence, a focus that continues through her volunteering with Women of Wyndham.

She says her motivation is simple and grounded in everyday connection.

“The joy is seeing the smile on someone’s face when they realise somebody actually cares for them and is willing to do something for them,” she said. “My motto is always community supports community.”

Arora has seen Wyndham change significantly over the years, alongside growing demand for local support services. She says gaps in the system often require volunteers and community groups to find practical, flexible ways to assist people.

“There are so many gaps in the community services sector, I volunteer with Women of Wyndham, and we try to be as creative as we can to offer help to survivors,” she said.

Over the past year, she has been using refunds from returned eligible drink containers through Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme at Tarneit Central Shopping Centre to fund small but direct forms of assistance. This includes buying coffee for someone in need or contributing towards travel costs to visit women she supports.

“I try to make a monthly trip to return containers,” she said. “Whatever refund I get back can be used to buy someone a coffee or top up my car to make a trip to see them.”

She says the value lies less in the amount and more in the gesture itself.

“It doesn’t have to be big, even small things can make a huge difference. More often than not, the real value is in taking the time to sit with someone and listen.”

Much of her work also involves supporting women from similar cultural backgrounds, where shared language and understanding can help build trust. She also assists women with practical needs, including attending court, hospital appointments and visits to services such as the Salvation Army and the Orange Door.

“If they need it, I can accompany women to court, hospitals, the police station, or to organisations like the Salvation Army and the Orange Door,” she said.

Arora describes her approach as something that extends beyond formal volunteering, shaped by lived experience and a sense of responsibility to lead by example at home as well.

“I think it’s important to lead by example,” she said. “When my daughter sees me returning containers, she learns the habit and starts to incorporate it into her life as well.”

She says the container deposit scheme has become a practical way to combine environmental action with community care.

“We get to tick off two activities at once. We can look after the environment, and we can use the refund to support a real person,” she said. “It’s like looking after the planet and the people on it at the same time.”

For Arora, the practice has become less about recycling and more about connection, using small, consistent actions to help people feel supported and seen.