For Mary-Anne Cahill, volunteering became part of her routine ahead of her retirement from teaching.
She applied for a volunteer role at Orange Sky, a charity that provides access to free showers and laundry services for people experiencing homelessness.
While people wait for their laundry, conversation naturally starts to flow.
"I've always been a good talker but you also have to be a good listener as a volunteer, it doesn't require expert skills but you just have to have empathy," Ms Cahill told AAP.
Something Ms Cahill didn't expect when she started was the friendships she would build with other volunteers at the service.
Her weekly commitment has blossomed into a decade-long friendship with fellow volunteers Jan Pullar, Cheryl Gadsby and Kerron Bromfield.
"I didn't think it was going to be as easy as it was (to make friends), but you're sharing a space with other people who share the same values and you find your tribe," Ms Cahill said.
"We catch up for coffee, often ring each other, we just get on really well and have seen each other through different life events."
National Volunteer Week, from May 18 to 24, is highlighting the way volunteering can help combat loneliness because of the opportunity it provides for social interactions.
A 2025 University of Sydney study found a causal link between loneliness and early mortality, and suggested it could triple the risk of early death among Australian women.
The study also found that the more frequently a person reported feeling lonely, the greater their chance of early death.
Almost one in five Australians say they currently volunteer with a charity or have done so the past twelve months, according to research by Orange Sky.
One in three volunteers continue showing up because of the positive boost to their mental wellbeing and the social ties formed.
Following her retirement as a nurse, Ms Pullar found a new routine through volunteering.
A decade later she coordinates rosters and recruits new people to various teams for Orange Sky in addition to regular shifts with the laundry van.
"Later in life you don't always have the opportunity to meet new people, so the friendships have been a bonus," she said.
"You really get more than you give."
It takes about 200 hours to form a close friendship with someone new, which makes regular volunteering an ideal environment for those connections, Orange Sky senior manager Loren Ayres said.
"The consistency of a volunteer shift being at the same time every week, it provides you that opportunity to connect and it often becomes a friendship that extends beyond the shift," she said.
"If you are volunteering you probably have similar values to someone in the same role and at the end of the day that is the most important part of a friendship."
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