Colleen Henderson has been volunteering at Kaitāia Hospice Shop since it opened about 10 years ago, and enjoys giving something back to the ‘very, very worthy cause’’ and services Hospice offers.
‘’I’ve always liked to volunteer throughout my life and love to help out where I can. I’ve had people helped by Hospice up here and volunteering here helps out the people of our area through the vital service Hospice gives,’’ Henderson said.
A big part of of volunteering for her was that it kept up connections with people and the team at the Hospice Shop were a great bunch, who had a wonderful camaraderie.
Raewyn Jackson has been volunteering at the Hospice Shop for almost 10 years too after originally coming in to help with the books.
‘’It just snowballed from there and I like to help out,’’ Jackson said.
‘’We’ve had support from Hospice in the past and I’m very aware of the number of people that need Hospice’s special care.’’
She said while her and the other volunteers got a lot of joy knowing they were helping a worthy cause, they also had plenty of laughs while at work and they usually used their collective knowledge and experience to ‘sort out the world’s problems’ while they are there.
Val Goodhue has been at the shop for the past five years and said she didn’t want to just retire, and wanted to do something meaningful and that helped others after finishing work.
‘’I wanted to do something where I could help others and and put something back into our community.’’
Goodhue said she gets ‘heaps’ out of volunteering - ‘’it’s satisfying knowing you are helping others, you are making a contribution to your community, and Hospice is such a fantastic organisation, And we have such a good time while we are here.’’
Jenny Williams is another who’s been at he Hospice Shop since the beginning and said it’s a testament to how good the role was that so many of the volunteers had been there so long.
She said Hospice helped her husband Rex Williams in his final days and she wanted to support them by giving something back to their cause, and volunteering was a great way to do that.
‘’The help I got from Hospice when Rex needed it was amazing, and gave me the confidence to continue caring for him at home as long as possible.’’
Williams said at 85 it was important to help others and she got so much out of volunteering at Hospice.
‘’They really are a very good bunch here. And we have such a good time.’’
Kaitāia Hospice Shop Manager Sharon Joyce said without the wonderful volunteers the shop - a major source of funding for Hospice - would simply not be able to operate.
‘’They are a really great team, and while we are always on the lookout for more volunteers, if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have a Hospice shop here,’’ Joyce said.
‘’This is such a vital funding source for Hospice, and all the funds we raise are spent locally, rather than going to a national body, and that’s something that the volunteers appreciate.’’
She said volunteering was a really important job as so many organisations relied on them to function and her advice to anybody considering giving up their spare time to help out was: ‘’just do it.’’
‘’You will meet some fantastic people who also love to help others you are giving back to your community - and your community needs your help - you might even learn some new skills.’’
Volunteering Northland manager Jessie Manney said volunteers are the backbone of many organisations in Northland.
‘’Their contributions are invaluable, enabling numerous charities and community groups to provide essential services and support that would otherwise be unattainable. Without the dedication and hard work of these selfless individuals, many organisations would struggle to operate or deliver their services effectively. Volunteers bring a wealth of skills, energy, and passion that enrich our communities and make a significant impact on the well-being of our region,’’ Manney said.
‘’At present, we have approximately 250 volunteering roles available across Northland and work with over 200 community organisations that rely on volunteers. These roles span a wide range of activities and organisations, from healthcare and education to environmental conservation and social services. Each role provides a unique opportunity for individuals to make a meaningful difference in their community.’’
Volunteering Northland is hosting a series of volunteer celebrations across Northland as part of a national campaign called The Big Shout Out, which acknowledges volunteers and helps increase awareness of the vital role volunteers play in our lives and communities.
For more information about how to get involved and to celebrate volunteers in your community, check out https://www.volunteeringnz.org.nz/the-big-shout-out/.
If you are interested in getting involved in volunteering go to https://volunteeringnorthland.nz/
For more info about National Volunteer Week go to https://nationalvolunteerweek.nz/.
This year’s Volunteer Seek theme is Whiria te tangata – Weave the people together.
