Editorial: Why not lend a hand

Alan Plunkett

Every day Bay of Plenty residents donate something precious to needy organisations - their time.

Thousands of people in the Bay volunteer for various organisations. It could be in schools, as part of clubs or in vital community help centres like the city's foodbank.

Some people don't think they could be of any value to these organisations but the time they put in is greatly appreciated by all involved.

This week is National Volunteers Week, a week dedicated to recognising the hard work put in by volunteers in the community. Here in the Bay we seem to be lucky that so many people volunteer their tim. However, there is always a demand for more people willing to lend a hand.

Here at the Bay of Plenty Times we are running a campaign where staff members spend a day volunteering at different organisations.

So far we have been to the SPCA, Habitat for Humanity, Riding for the Disabled, Surf Lifesaving, Coastguard, Waipuna Hospice, St John, Child Cancer Foundation and Women's Refuge.

We still have plenty more places on the list to visit and the outings give staff members an insight into that organisation's need and the dedicated volunteers who keep it running.

It is nice to know that we have helped out, even if it seems like a small task. Our actions have benefited both the organisation and ourselves.

In yesterday's Bay of Plenty Times, we featured a story about volunteers at the Tauranga Community Foodbank.

Volunteer Philippa de Vere said it was all about getting out and meeting people in the community.

"There's always something to be done out there. There's all sorts of organisations," she said.

Foodbank chairman Alan Plunkett said he was always staggered by how many volunteers there were in Tauranga.

"We couldn't run without them. The logistics of the balance sheet we work with mean we couldn't do it with fulltime salaried people. It's just impossible," he said. "The importance of them from another point of view is the interaction with the people who come to the counter." Make sure you acknowledge the hard work of those helping out, or maybe you could get involved.