Michelle Old honours her husband's memory at Hospice shop

At Whanganui East Hospice Shop are Kelly Scarrow (left), Wesley Fourie, stock co-ordinator, and Michelle Old, new shop manager. Photo / Paul Brooks

Michelle Old has taken over management of the Hospice Shop in Whanganui East.

From managing Hospice's boutique shop in Victoria Ave, Michelle has taken on a new challenge, picking up where previous manager Tina Simpson left off.

"It's a big job here," says Kelly Scarrow, in charge of fundraising, communications and marketing at Hospice Whanganui.

"As an organisation and as a team, we really acknowledge the work that Tina has done with her team here. She has taken the shop to a new level. We are grateful for that and wish Tina well."

"I'm excited about the challenge," says Michelle. "Excited about the potential and the new heights we are going to reach. What it comes down to is, we're all Hospice, we're all working together for the one cause, so we're going to give this place its own identity within the Hospice family. We're going to soar."

"Michelle's a good fit [for the store]," says Kelly. "She's a thinker but she leads with the heart. She 'gets' people and where they're at, which is important when you're not only working in an environment like this, when you're working with all different types of people within the community … but you're working with a large pool of volunteers, each of whom brings a lot to the table.

"It can be stressful at times. I'm excited to see what she and her team create here."

Michelle has a strong, personal reason for wanting to give her all for Hospice.

Just a few weeks ago she lost her husband, Dale Old, to cancer.

"Hospice supported me as my employer but also on the clinical, medical side to care for Dale at home. They were there constantly, either in person or on the phone, seeing if there was anything, any help I needed, right up until when he passed in my arms at home.

"I made a vow to my husband that I will live every day to honour his memory and that's why I'm working for Hospice. To make him proud and to show the love he had for people through me."

Dale, a butcher by trade, was also a Hospice volunteer and the three shops' Trade Me specialist.

"Every day he was in at the shop, every day he would bring Michelle her lunch, every day he would volunteer at the counter," says Kelly.

"He would be cleaning shoes, polishing silver," says Michelle. "He would be there before we opened in the morning and help me vacuum the place, even when he was ill."

In December this year Michelle and Dale would have celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary.

"Michelle has a history with Hospice, both professionally and, now, personally," says Kelly.

While Michelle acknowledges that Hospice Boutique was a lovely place to work, it's time to extend herself and grow. "It's a new challenge."

She says all the volunteers at Boutique will always be family to her.

Meanwhile, at Hospice Boutique, the "amazing Cushla" and her team are holding fort until a replacement for Michelle can be found. "It's business as usual," says Kelly.

Kelly says they're handing the Whanganui East shop over to someone who is experienced and with a great track record.

Hospice Whanganui is always looking for volunteers, particularly within the shops but all across the organisation.

If you are interested, call in to the shops or Volunteer Whanganui in Community House in Ridgway St. And do drop in to Whanganui East and say hello to Michelle.