Interview with Adelle Yates (Director)

Adelle Yates is guided by a strong conviction that charity begins at home and that local communities thrive when families join forces. Throughout her journey – from stepping up as a youth group leader in high school to supporting media operations at the 2014 G20 Leaders’ Summit – she has always been energised by the collective power of people giving back. Whether she is tackling a new challenge or preserving award-winning jams to practice mindfulness, Adelle brings an adventurous spirit and genuine curiosity to everything she does. This hands-on, optimistic approach leaves her perfectly equipped to help commonkind empower the next generation of volunteers. Powered by a morning double shot of caffeine to kickstart her day, Adelle shared what inspires her dedication to community impact.

Question 1: Why did you join commonkind?

Volunteers are the quiet heroes of our communities, and I joined commonkind because I believe in its simple but powerful idea that charity begins at home. Its focus on harnessing the collective action of children and families really resonated with me.

I’ve always enjoyed volunteering. It connects you with people from all walks of life, gives you a sense of purpose and makes you feel part of something bigger than yourself.

Question 2: What were you like as a child?

If you ask my brother, he’d probably say annoying! I was a happy child, raised in a large extended family. I have 13 cousins on one side and we grew up together, surrounded by plenty of fun and a sense of belonging. We remain closely connected as adults despite living in different places.

Question 3: What was your first volunteering experience?

I was a youth group leader in Year 12, which was my first real experience of volunteering, although I don’t think I saw it as volunteering at the time. It gave me the opportunity to step up, connect with younger people in my community and be someone they could look up to. I loved the energy of the experience and it was probably the first time I understood that volunteering gives you back just as much as you give.

Question 4: What has been your most memorable volunteering experience?

I volunteered at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brisbane in 2014. The scale and international nature of the event were extraordinary and I worked with the media contingent which gave me a fascinating behind-the-scenes experience.

What I remember most was the sheer number of volunteers who made an event of that scale possible. It was incredible to see the power of so many people giving their time, skills and energy to help make it happen.

Question 5: What’s the very first job you had (that’s not on your LinkedIn profile) and what did you learn from the experience?

I worked at Coles and I loved it. I got the job with my best friend and started as a checkout operator, but I moved around the store and had a go at as many different roles as I could.

It taught me to say ‘yes’ when someone gives you an opportunity to try something new, even when it meant learning something outside my comfort zone. I learnt a lot about myself, what I was good at and importantly what I definitely didn’t want to do!

Question 6: What do you do for fun?

I love preserving, mostly jams, because who doesn’t love something sweet!

Our extended family used to get together every year and make strawberry, cherry and apricot jam when I was young but I never had any interest in learning! All these years later, I’m right into it and I’ve even won prizes for my jams and relish at the Ekka (Queensland’s Royal Show). I live a pretty busy life but there’s something about the end-to-end process takes that forces you to slow down and just be in that very moment.

Question 7: What motivates you?

I feel incredibly privileged in my life, and I try to approach each day with curiosity, openness and a sense of adventure. We all have a finite amount of time and that makes me want to find joy in the everyday moments that can easily pass us by.

Question 8: How do you practice self-compassion?

Having kids definitely helps me reflect on myself regularly (ha!) and I understand that no person or situation is perfect. Depending on my energy level, I’ve found a quick workout can rebalance me just as much as sitting in a few moments of quiet.

Question 9: If you could give children and young people one piece of advice, what would it be? 

Saying yes to an opportunity presented to you can be scary but you never know where it will lead and what you might learn along the way. I’d encourage young people to ask ‘why not?’ rather than straight out ‘no’.

Question 10: What is your most used emoji?

Learn even more about Adelle and other members of the commonkind team here.