Bill Nagy is the recipient of the 2005/2006 Sir John Reid Community Service Award.  Bill is a community development worker working with the disadvantaged, homeless and abused people in St.Kilda, Doveton and Frankston.  His work is supported by approximately 100 volunteers from local communities, church groups, service groups and representatives from The Coalition on Alcohol and Drug Education.  The people he helps are generally those that are not serviced by the mainstream welfare organizations or Government agencies.

A key part of the support provided by Bill and his group involves the operation of bi-weekly soup vans.  Bill and his team have been operating in the St. Kilda area for fifteen years and in Doveton/Frankston for over four years.

Each fortnight, volunteers make up supplies of soup and sandwiches which are dispatched, along with handouts of clothing and bedding, from the vans through-out the evening and into early next morning.  The operation of the soup van provides the group with initial points of contact that are followed up by support, counselling and dialogue by Bill and other members of the group as appropriate.

The group also runs a regular barbecue for children in the Frankston area.

The event is organized to provide children from disadvantaged or broken families, or from families where one or both parents are suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, the opportunity to spend time with their parents or just to enjoy being with other children.  Following each get-together, Bill and his group provide support to those where the need is the greatest.  This can range from the provision of clothing, to counselling, to assistance in finding accommodation or moving to a more stable and protective environment.

Mr. Nagy has spent all his life as a community support worker and is a qualified chaplain, having completed theological studies with the Baptist Church.

He started as a youth worker with the Salvation Army in Mordialloc before establishing his own volunteer group in the mid eighties.

Bill and his volunteer group includes a wide range of professionals and community-minded individuals who provide advice or hands on assistance as required.  Activities range from preparing the soup and sandwiches to; the manufacture and provision of temporary shelter for the homeless, assistance with counselling, assistance with the bush gardening service, fund raising, to driving the vans.  The group has a small advisory committee that meets two to three times a year to review finances, fund raising and discuss major needs and requirements.

The majority of the group's funds are raised through the operation of Bill's Bush Gardening Service.  This service also allows Bill to provide work for many of the needy people he helps and is a first step for many along the road to greater self-esteem and a return to employment.  The balance of the group's funds is generated through private donations and collections from the public during the operation of the soup van.  Bill spends about fifty percent of his time with the bush gardening service and the balance providing support to the needy.

Award winner Bill Nagy with members of his support group (click to enlarge this image)

Bill Nagy has dedicated his life to serving the less fortunate in the community and lives a commitment of service before self.