Teen volunteer to aged care worker: Juli’s journey with BaptistCare

Juli Appleby has always been someone who looks for ways to help.  

As a student leader at Castle Hill High School, she'd already been rallying classmates to support HopeStreet's Christmas food drives.  

So when she spotted a job opening at a BaptistCare Gracewood aged care home in Kellyville NSW when she was 15, it felt like a natural next step. 

Two years on, she's still there, serving afternoon tea, setting up the dining room, chatting with residents between shifts. And she's planning to keep going through university. 

"I genuinely love going to work. I'm so grateful for this job." 

Juli quickly learned that the role was about much more than catering. It was about paying attention to what people needed, what they liked, who they were. 

"There's a generational gap, so I'm always thinking about how I can adjust the way I serve people," she says.  

"Some residents will tell me all about their favourite singer and I have absolutely no idea who they're talking about, but I love it." 

She holds the harder moments with the same care. One resident is turning 103 this year. Others are living with dementia. Juli doesn't look away from any of it. 

"The small moments, remembering someone's preferences, taking time to really talk, those matter just as much as the big ones." 

Juli's commitment to community runs deeper than her shifts at BaptistCare.  

As School Captain, she's helped lead her school's annual BaptistCare HopeStreet drive, rallying students to collect food and donations, even competing with other schools to raise the most. 

For Juli, leadership has never been about the title. 

"It's not about being above people. It's about serving them and showing up, even when it's hard."