Too often people want to voice their concerns but are worried no one is listening.

On Thursday, February 12, there will be people listening and actively encouraging people to speak their minds on what they want for their community.

Ask Illawarra Shoalhaven is a community day of engagement where hundreds of volunteers from across the Illawarra will be out in their communities asking residents to share their views on the kind of community they want to live in.

CareWays Community operations manager Michael Szafraniec said volunteers will be in community centres, parks, shopping areas and on the streets and anywhere people gather.

"This is a new way of ensuring the community gets a voice and new way information from the ground up can be fed to decision makers. It is quite a powerful thing," he said.

"The day is happening across our four LGAs [Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven]. We will be in various locations and we want people to come and approach us and either volunteer their time or get involved and tell us what they want for their community."

Volunteers will have an #Ask sticker on their T-shirts.

Local Community Services Association NSW (LCSA) executive officer Brian Smith said NGOs and government departments were working together to listen and understand the community's voice.

"Everybody has grounded aspirations for their own lives, families and community - too often we are invited to focus on problems … by asking people what they want for their community we liberate the positive energy, that is too often ignored or frustrated by traditional processes," Mr Smith said.

"Ask Illawarra Shoalhaven gives everybody an opportunity to enter a conversation which discovers the shared aspiration of our communities.

"This is important because all too often the community's voice, on its own terms, does not get heard by decision makers."

Mr Szafraniec said information gathered from the public would start a new style of ongoing conversation with communities.

Information:  1300 307 902 or 4262 1918 or email help@careways.org.au