John Feint has spent much of his life helping others. As a parent, he volunteered to help out with his children’s sporting teams and Scouts groups.
As a volunteer with the St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn, he decided to start a program for young people aged 13 to 15 who were deemed to be at-risk.
John combined his volunteering experience at Vinnies and Scouts to create the VINES program, which is designed to give these young people some much-needed fun.
The VINES program offers two overnight camps a year plus some weekend activities every two months. This gives at-risk young people the chance to enjoy adventures and develop skills to navigate their sometimes complex lives.
Through his service at Vinnies since 2007, John has offered support and kindness to people in the ACT including refugees, asylum seekers and people experiencing homelessness or other hardships.