Reno Demicoli is a 72 year-old volunteer with EdConnect who mentors students at Northern Bay College in Corio, Victoria. Demicoli has been an EdConnect volunteer since 2018 and has gone to great lengths to support students; including his recent efforts to learn virtual platforms to stay connected to the school during the pandemic closures.

Demicoli speaks of his mentoring experiences highly and says, “These kids have filled a deep hole in my life having lost my only two sons. As I attempt to find meaning in my golden years, my contribution to these kids, many from broken and seriously problematic backgrounds, is a tangible way of contributing something to very young members of our community.”

Due to his commitment and dedication to helping the charity, EdConnect Liaison Officer, Sally Edgerton, nominated Demicoli for the Westfield Local Heroes program for Geelong.

“Reno is one of our standout EdConnect volunteers in the region. Not only is he a great asset to the school and students, he also consistently supports our charity. , our events and those extra requests. He is a regular attendee and helper at our events and shares his volunteer story with others to encourage them to join as a volunteer,” says Edgerton.

The Westfield Local Heroes campaign enables EdConnect to acknowledge volunteers like Demicoli who provide a stable and consistent influence in a young person’s life. The winner will be chosen by public vote, closing on the 14th of September. The Local Hero winner will award their affiliated charity with a $10,000 grant to support their work.

EdConnect CEO, Gerri Clay, says, “EdConnect recognizes the dedication, commitment and care that each volunteer contributes to help students who may otherwise struggle to succeed and thrive with their school-based education.”

Local funders of EdConnect include Give Where You Live Foundation, Dawn Wade Foundation and the Geelong Community Foundation, all who continue to provide a strong pillar of support for the Geelong region to help students thrive.

To register a community vote for Reno Demicoli, visit the website https://www.westfield.com.au/local-heroes and choose Geelong to find his profile and help EdConnect Australia provide more life-changing support to students in your area.