Trained in psychological first aid, they provided much needed comfort and support to residents as the fires burned out of control.

They spent countless hours talking with members from the devastated community, listening to their stories of defending their homes as well as their neighbour's homes.

In the weeks that followed continued to knock on doors and attend community meetings to check people were okay.

Some of the volunteers admit it was at times harrowing, not least because they knew many of the people involved.

They gave time and space to people devastated and traumatised by a fire that spread so fast that many fled with nothing. They listened, and sometimes shed a tear, privately, for all the pain they heard.

Ask any of them why they do it and the response is always the same.

"It's about giving back," they say. "It's about friendship and helping those in need. It's lovely to help others."

All of the Red Cross volunteers I spoke with also volunteer with other organisations.

Read more: Red Cross volunteers recognised

They are part of an incredible network of volunteers in the Bega Valley.

Volunteer rates in other shires of NSW are typically about 16 per cent but in Bega Valley it is 28 per cent, a figure that puts this shire at the top of the NSW league table.

As we celebrate Volunteers Week it is good to highlight some of the incredible work done by some very dedicated people. National Volunteer Week was established 30 years ago and provides an opportunity to highlight the role of volunteers in our community and to say thank you to the more than 6 million Australians who volunteer.

The Red Cross teams are not alone, Rural Fire Service, SES, the Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul, Lions, Rotary, Men's Sheds and the Social Justice Advocates are just a very few of a long list of volunteer organisations. And that is without mentioning the endless list of mums and dads who support sporting teams, P&C functions and other school events.

There is another factor that appears to bind all of these volunteers. Despite the sometimes sad or traumatic circumstances they find themselves assisting with, there is a common theme.

The very act of giving, even in the darkest hours, makes them happy.