How one volunteer’s “escape project” became a meaningful step toward a career in sustainability, and why volunteering with Corena means building something real.
When Amir first walked into a Funding Network presentation and heard Georgia speak about Corena’s work, he didn’t need much convincing. His reaction was immediate: “I wanna get involved. Let’s do something.”
Today, Amir is one of the volunteers in Corena’s volunteer program, and his story is what we love to share, both to inspire others who are considering volunteering with Corena, and to show our funders and supporters what volunteer-powered climate impact looks like in practice.
A Career Built at the Intersection of People and the Planet
Amir’s path hasn’t been a straight line, and that’s exactly what makes him such a great fit for Corena. He started in civil engineering, moved into environmental science, and recently completed his Master of Environment and Sustainability at Monash University, focusing on behaviour change, community engagement and evidence-based approaches to sustainability.
Along the way, he’s also gained hands-on experience in the solar industry: as an installer, in sales, in system design, and in navigating rebates and pre-approvals using tools like Pylon and Green Deal.
Corena, he says, is where all of these threads finally come together:
- Behavioural science and engagement
- Sustainability and community impact
- Practical solar industry knowledge
“I like that Corena’s model helps community organisations access renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in a tangible way,” Amir explains, “while using the revolving fund to keep donations creating impact over time.”
Why Volunteer with Corena? Practical Climate Action That Actually Works
For anyone weighing up where to invest their time as a volunteer, this is often the real question: does the work actually matter?
For Amir, the answer was yes, and it’s rooted in how Corena operates. Rather than one-off donations, Corena’s revolving fund model means every contribution keeps working, project after project, helping community organisations take real, tangible steps toward renewable energy and energy efficiency.
That combination of mission and mechanism – impact that compounds over time – is what drew Amir to volunteer with Corena, and it’s the same thing that continues to attract funders who want to see their support go further.
Curiosity About People, Not Just Systems
What stands out most about Amir isn’t just his technical background; it’s his genuine curiosity about people.
At Corena, Amir is helping shape the early-stage development of the volunteer program: researching what keeps volunteers engaged, designing surveys, running consultations, and building resources to make volunteering clearer, more flexible and more meaningful for the people who want to contribute.
“I enjoy people,” he says simply. He’s fascinated by what motivates people to get involved, what keeps them engaged, and why they make the decisions they do; questions that sit at the heart of good behavioural science and of building a thriving volunteer community.
Ownership Is the Secret Ingredient
Ask Amir about his project, and you’ll notice something quickly: he doesn’t talk about it like a task on a to-do list. He talks about it like it’s his.
“My baby now,” he calls it.
That sense of ownership, the freedom to experiment, test ideas, get feedback and shape the direction of the work is, by his own account, one of the most valuable parts of volunteering with Corena. It’s a reminder that meaningful volunteering isn’t about handing people small, disconnected tasks. It’s about giving them a real problem to own and the trust to run with it.
A Two-Way Benefit: Purpose and Perspective
Amir is candid that he’s currently job hunting, and that it’s tough. He half-jokingly calls his Corena work his “escape project”, something that gives him a break from the grind of job applications.
But there’s nothing shallow about that escape. It’s also where he’s building the professional experience he needs, staying connected to work he cares about, and moving closer to the career he actually wants: one in sustainability, climate action and community-focused environmental work, quite possibly in local government, where he sees the chance to combine technical knowledge with direct, tangible community impact.
It’s a great example of what volunteering, done well, can offer: purpose during a difficult season, and a genuine bridge to what comes next.
Why Amir’s Corena Volunteer Story Matters — To Future Volunteers and Our Supporters
For anyone considering volunteering with Corena, Amir’s experience shows what’s possible: an opportunity to bring your existing skills into a new context, gain hands-on experience in a field you’re passionate about, and have real ownership over meaningful work, all while contributing to climate action that makes a lasting difference.
And for our funders and supporters, Amir’s story is a window into where your support actually goes. It’s not just funding infrastructure and renewable energy projects; it’s enabling a growing community of skilled, motivated people like Amir to build the systems, research and relationships that make Corena’s impact possible, today and long into the future.
Thinking About Volunteering with Corena?
If Amir’s story resonates with you, whether you’re drawn to sustainability, behavioural science, community impact, or simply want to put your skills to work for something that matters, we’d love to hear from you.