RED Cross Limestone Coast has called for new volunteers to step forward, with regional manager David Walshaw revealing the average age of current members was 60 to 70.
Mr Walshaw said younger volunteers were needed to bring in fresh sets of skills.
“Unfortunately when you look at what is coming behind us, there are not a lot of younger volunteers,” Mr Walshaw said.
Mount Gambier’s Red Cross branch currently has five paid staff alongside 40 volunteers.
“When we get younger volunteers here it sort of revitalises the older ones and they do learn from each other,” he said.
Mr Walshaw said the organisation’s vast number of programs meant it relied on volunteers to help run its operations smoothly.
Programs such as their Telecross, Telechat and Teleready services are a large focus, with other initiatives in the works.
“They are really big programs for us but we also have our transport services which are on track to be doing over 300,000km per year transporting people to and from medical appointments,” Mr Walshaw said.
“We also have our migrant support program where we ensure refugees have settled properly and they have everything they need to get up and running.
“Red Cross also runs a family links program which sees an awful lot of these people come to Australia and leave their family members behind at the camps they are in so we try and reinstate communication between themselves and lost family members.”
A handyman program helping South East residents complete basic household tasks is also run through the Mount Gambier Red Cross, aimed at keeping people in their homes and independent for longer.
“While we have a lot of programs going on we are in dire needs for those volunteers, especially with younger people,” Mr Walshaw said.
“We are not wanting them for a week or even a full day but if we can even get half a day it will do us the world of good.”
