For decades, Ralph Naden has dedicated his time to improving the lives of disadvantaged children.
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Mr Naden has been awarded an Order of Australia medal for service to the Indigenous community of western NSW.
As well as founding Yalmambirra Boogijoon Doolan – an Indigenous place of learning for young people – Mr Naden also volunteers with Mission Australia and Uniting Care Burnside.
Mr Naden said he believed helping people was simply something everyone should do.
“At the end of the day you’re on top because you’re helping somebody. That’s your pay,” he said.
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Mr Naden was also Citizen of the Year for the Gilgandra Shire Council in 2012, the Orana/Far West Volunteer of the Year in 2011 from the Centre for Volunteering NSW and was the NSW Volunteer of the Year in 2011.
However, despite all his good deeds, he said he wasn’t due all the accolades. It wasn’t about him, but the people and the family around him, Mr Naden said.
The volunteer said his late wife Audrey should have been the one receiving awards.
Mr Naden said his father, Pastor Bill Naden, always said ‘they say when you’ve got to do good things to go to Heaven, but I’m already there’. It was a message Mr Naden also believed.