Exploring Passion and Purpose | Anthea Sou’s Volunteer Journey with Time Auction

Together with Time Auction, the Swire Trust Go-Givers Program encourages skilled volunteers for Swire Trust NGO partners in education, marine conservation, and arts. From now to 2025. 10 outstanding volunteers will be selected annually as the “Swire Trust Go-Givers of the Year” with special rewards & recognition. Meet our 10 Go-Givers of 2024!

Meet Anthea — Growth Through Giving

Being a yoga enthusiast with a passion for staying active, Anthea embraces every opportunity to learn and grow. In her career at an investment bank, she has gained experience in capital markets and real estate. Outside of work, however, Anthea is always on the move, seeking new skills and adventures, whether it is through physical activities or personal growth pursuits, such as volunteer work, where she finds joy in making lasting contributions to her community.

Turning Time into Meaningful Impact

Time Auction is a platform that connects volunteers with meaningful experiences by offering unique rewards, such as workshops, tickets, and mentorship sessions, in exchange for their time. Its mission is to enhance volunteerism by encouraging people to give back while discovering new opportunities for personal growth.

Anthea’s skilled volunteer journey began in 2022 when she joined Let’s Talk ADHD as a bilingual transcriber. The flexibility to work remotely made it possible for her to balance her commitments with her fixed work schedule. Looking for more ways to give back while honing her skills, Anthea further explored the broad range of opportunities on Time Auction and found the vacancy on the platform itself to serve as a partnership lead volunteer.

“With a wide array of interests and passions, I’m always eager to explore new and intriguing experiences,” Anthea shared. She saw this role as an ideal way to merge her passion for meaningful experiences with her professional skills, all while encouraging the growth of the community of volunteers at Time Auction.

Moments of Generosity and Connection

Anthea’s most unforgettable volunteer moments come from the inspiring generosity of reward donors. These businesses and individuals selflessly contribute their classes, tickets, and workshops without receiving any monetary compensation. “In light of the challenging business environment in recent years, the outpouring of love and generosity from the community has been incredibly moving,” Anthea reflected.

One memorable interaction took place during a program **introductory call with business owners after her regular work hours. Upon learning that Anthea herself was a volunteer, they expressed their full support and encouragement. “It not only brightened my day but also reinforced my belief in the contribution I am making,” she noted.

A Testimony to Dedication

Anthea’s contributions to Time Auction have been invaluable to the organization’s growth. “Anthea has been volunteering as the Partnership Lead since 2023. Her passion for fostering meaningful connections and her commitment to promoting our mission have been truly inspiring,” shared a representative from Time Auction.

In 2023, with Anthea’s proactive approach to securing partnerships, Time Auction launched 214 experiences despite limited capacity. “Anthea is always responsive and consistently generates new ideas to bring a wide variety of rewards to our community of volunteers. We are truly grateful for her ongoing dedication and her commitment to continue her volunteer work with us, even after the original project timeline has concluded,” Time Auction praised.

Volunteering as a Path to Grow

For Anthea, volunteering is a powerful way to refine her skills, particularly in communication and pitching. “Consistent practice is undeniably the most effective way to refine one’s skillset,” she advised. Through her role, she was able to polish her own abilities while actively seeking strategic business partnerships that support Time Auction’s mission.

What makes the volunteer experience even more fulfilling is knowing that her efforts are not only accomplishing one standalone task, but are also facilitating more volunteer work. “This endeavour is about fostering collective growth and working together to expand and strengthen our community,” Anthea shared. She also thanked the Time Auction Partnership team for their open-mindedness and willingness to embrace her ideas.

Anthea’s Call to Find Your Meaningful Summit

Anthea’s advice for anyone considering volunteering is simple yet profound: “Don’t just climb for the highest mountain; reach for the summit that’s most meaningful to you.”

Thank you Anthea for contributing 85 volunteer hours, with Time Auction!

To see details of the Swire Trust Go-Givers Program and support their NGO partners, head over to Time Auction website.

Written by Time Auction team, Edited by Margaret Ng, Volunteer Editor