Fritz receives volunteer award

A Peninsula resident has been honoured recently at the presentation of the Community Relations Commission's Volunteering Awards for 2005.

Fritz Baumung of Phegians Bay received an award for a "lifetime of achievement in community service" from Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship, Mr Milton Orkopoulos, at a ceremony at Parliament House in Sydney.

CRC chair Mr Stepan Kerkyasharian congratulated Mr Baumung, who he said had begun a lifetime of service in his native Germany, for 15 years caring for the aged, visiting jails and helping victims of drug and alcohol addiction.

"After arriving in Australia he got involved in grief counselling and communication and helped establish the Ethnic Life-Line," Mr Orkopoulos said.

"Moving to Coffs Harbour, he worked with Meals on Wheels, visited the sick, aged and lonely and supported people during bereavement and crisis situations.

"On the Central Coast, Fritz continued all his voluntary service, giving special attention to the ageing German-speaking population and establishing a school to teach the German language to children.

"He established a German parents and children's group, promoted German culture, arranged cultural performances and events and encouraged the study of German history among both German and non-German background people," Mr Orkopoulos said.

According to his nominator, "Fritz has worked tirelessly to establish a network of German volunteers in the Central Coast and has stimulated their compassion to help others.

"His wonderful work has set a fine example and established himself as a role model for others.

"This has apparently prompted the whole German community in the region to care more about each other.

"For some time, Fritz also worked voluntarily to support the German language newspaper, Die Woche in Australia."

"He has also tried to take the German community to the broader population, founding the Central Coast Australian German Friendship and Welfare Society, and worked in cross-cultural roles to help the whole community.

"He has been a member of the Multicultural Advisory Committee, the Central Coast Multicultural Interagency and the Regional Advisory Council of the Community Relations Commission."

Mr Baumung's supporters said his really important asset was his outstanding personality, his selfless, modest and affectionate nature which had helped him to empathise with people in need, whoever they were.

The CRC Awards acknowledge the efforts of individual volunteers within Australia's diverse range of cultures and promotes volunteering among people from all sectors of our culturally diverse society.

Mr Baumung also received a congratulatory message from member for Peats, Ms Marie Andrews, on behalf of the NSW parliament.

Press release, January 11 Warren Duncan, Community Relations Commission