News

It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone is welcomed with a friendly smile at Happiness House, explains volunteer Corey Sinteur.Happiness House provides a whole variety of weekly services, including a drop-in centre for a hot drink and biscuit in their cosy kitchen, knitting, gardening, craft and disc golf groups, a resource room where donated clothes, bedding and small homeware are available for those who cannot afford to buy new, and providing client liaison with other agencies.

Friday is Produce Day and is always very popular.

Fruit, veggies and other food items are donated by generous local companies and shared with local families and individuals.

The Happiness House staff do not try to take over people’s decision-making.

They are there as a support and encourage people to take ownership of their own life decisions and make healthy choices.

People from outside of Queenstown may think everybody who lives here is wealthy and there is no need for a place such as Happiness House to support and care for those in need of practical or emotional support.

This need is growing in Queenstown, just as it is in the whole of Aotearoa — which means Happiness House is a wonderful community asset for the Queenstown area.I’ve been volunteering for years with various groups and events, such as the NZ Open, native tree planting at Paradise with Ngai Tahu, the Queenstown marathon, the Hopman Cup tennis tournament in Perth and Tall Ships Race in the United Kingdom.I first got involved with the Happiness House Charitable Trust a few years ago and have seen the great work that they do in the community.

I became more involved last year, offering the more practical assistance of mowing their lawns on a regular basis and giving a hand with maintenance of the property.

My role has since expanded to assisting with the coordination of Happiness House’s major annual fundraiser – the Winter Fundraiser, where winter clothing and gear generously donated by Queenstown locals is sold to assist the trust in providing other community services throughout the year.

Fellow volunteer Holly and myself took four days to sort, organise and market the event.Happiness House gets wonderful community support from locals and businesses, and I am proud to volunteer my time and give back to my Queenstown community.There’s always a warm smile to be shared with those who enter Happiness House.

The world needs more warm smiles – especially on a chilly winter’s day.Corey SinteurHappiness House

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

My name is Jamie Gibbens.

I am 21 and am originally from Hokitika, where I did Guiding as a girl from Pippins, which is for five- and six-year-olds, right through to Rangers, which is for 12- to 17-year-olds.

I moved to Christchurch in 2016 to attend university and become a primary teacher.

I graduated last year, and this year started my Masters of Education.I’m leading a group of Brownies, who are aged between seven and nine.

I teach them new skills, games, what they can do in their community, and about other cultures around the world.

One thing that has stood out is seeing the girls’ enthusiasm towards learning new things.

Seeing them enjoy the activities I enjoyed when I was a Brownie myself is also pretty cool.

What I love about empowering girls and young women is encouraging them to use their new skills for initiatives such as community action, and developing their confidence and leadership skills.

One of my favourite memories from my Brownie group here in Christchurch was seeing the confidence development in one of my girls.

She got really nervous reading her mihi to the group one night and broke down a bit — but a year later, the same girl not only played the flute in our talent show in front of all the group, plus their family members (a much bigger group!), but she won first place!

When I asked her to tell the group about her visit to the Guides, I couldn’t stop her talking.

We often tell jokes and act silly sometimes at Brownies, so there is usually a lot of laughs, which is all part of the fun!Jamie GibbensGirl Guiding New Zealand

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

I am a Volunteer Home Tutor with English Language Partners in Porirua.

Languages and new people fascinate me, so I thought, “Here’s a chance to broaden my horizons and be useful at the same time”.

After completing training, I began tutoring Maung Lu and Paw Chit from Myanmar, and have been working with them for three and a half years.Sitting in a former refugee’s home speaking English with them is one of the few opportunities they get to really practise English and make it their tongue.

The teaching resources from the English Language Partners’ office are invaluable and the staff provide heaps of support.

We do not have a set curriculum but adjust lessons to suit their needs, such as assisting with homework from English classes.

Often I work with the family to find topics that relate to day-to-day life in their new country.

Many times my “English lesson” with them has included visiting shops, health clinics and other appointments, phoning agencies, going for a swim or harvesting bamboo shoots!Through these times, we have become friends and they can trust me enough to hazard a conversation.

It is amazing what sagas I have heard about and understood, all conveyed in their first few hundred English words.

It has been a fun time of discovery.

I can be a local friend for a new family as well as a language tutor, but I am sure I can never outgive their generous spirit.

Home tutoring is the best personal pick-me-up I can think of!Sheryl PereraEnglish Language Partners Porirua

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

It was Josh Ellison’s passion for native birds that first led him to be a volunteer.Out of concern for the local birdlife in Wairoa, he approached the Department of Conservation (DOC) about helping to trap pests in the area.

DOC supplied him with a number of traps, and so began his first volunteering role.Receiving an award at the Gisborne Volunteer Centre Youth Awards prompted him to explore further volunteering opportunities in Gisborne, where he could use his practical skills and knowledge.

Josh had never heard of or visited the Eastwoodhill Arboretum, so when Gisborne Volunteer Centre staff suggested he volunteer there too, it was a totally new idea.A staff member from the Volunteer Centre took Josh to the arboretum for a visit.

He met the arboretum team and had his first glimpse of a place which would become a big part of his life.However, Josh didn’t have his licence, and with the arboretum located 35 kilometres out of Gisborne, lack of transport would have been a barrier to volunteering there.Recognising a fellow enthusiast, staff member Dan Taylor kindly offered to assist, offering Josh a ride to and from work on the days he volunteers.

This enabled Josh to accept the role.Josh has volunteered his time twice a week, every week over the past six months, and enjoys that every workday is different.

He has had the opportunity to work with some of the machinery like the wood chipper, which has expanded his experience and skills.Josh is in the perfect environment to indulge his love of native birdlife, and he identifies the Native Tree Walk as his favourite part of the arboretum.Josh EllisonGisborne Volunteer Centre, & Eastwoodhill Arboretum

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

Volunteering far from home has given Alex Seliger new perspectives on protecting the environment.Alex, a Masters student in landscape ecology and nature conservation, travelled all the way from Germany to volunteer at the National Wetland Trust near Hamilton.The National Wetland Trust maintains a 10 hectare pest-free reserve, which is now a safe haven for native wildlife such as the North Island fernbird, the spotless crake, the Australasian bittern and long-tailed bats.

The Trust is also developing a National Wetland Discovery Centre that combines the wildlife sanctuary with research and educational facilities, wetland gardens and heritage trails.Alex was inspired to travel halfway around the world to volunteer with the National Wetland Trust after a friend told him about her experiences working at the reserve.

“After her marvellous stories, I was also keen to go to New Zealand to volunteer and explore this beautiful country,” he explains.Alex has spent two months in New Zealand volunteering with the Trust, and has helped out with a wide range of work.

He’s tried his hand at bird and bat surveys, pest species surveillance, helping a local school with a science experiment, potting native plants, writing reports and newspaper articles and much more.“I am grateful for all these great experiences in such unique environment!” Alex says. “During my time volunteering, I gained great insights into New Zealand’s unique way of nature conservation and learned that lots of conservational activities are supported by local communities, which I find really cool and inspiring.”He was able to work with a diverse group of people, ranging from schoolchildren and university students to scientists and council staff, to local farmers and hunters.

This was a rewarding part of his volunteer work, he says.“It was awesome to experience this community engagement and getting to know the diverse perspectives and motives for why people care for nature and environment.”Now back in Germany to continue his studies, Alex hopes to use his experiences with the National Wetland Trust to encourage other people to protect the environment.“One of my major objectives in life is to promote conservation in order to protect (still) intact natural landscapes or try to encourage restoration of degraded ones — not only for human livelihoods but also for its own sake.

There is no planet B!

That’s why I am also planning to work in nature conservation after I have finished my master studies this year.

Let us see where the journey will take me — maybe back to New Zealand!”Alex SeligerThe National Wetland Trust

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

Janice came to New Zealand from Samoa in the 1990s to study at Whitirea Polytechnic in Porirua, graduating with a New Zealand Diploma in Business.

She returned home to work as a finance officer but frequently came back for holidays, as all of her siblings were living here.

After recovering from a serious illness in 2015, Janice resigned from her job in Samoa and decided to live in Porirua to be close to her family.Upon arrival, Janice wrote up a CV and started looking for employment.

At the Whitireia Learning Centre, Janice was advised to start with some volunteering, so went to Volunteer Porirua where she obtained details of the English Language Partners (ELP) Porirua.

Janice contacted ELP Porirua and after speaking to the lovely administrator, Janice thought, “This is for me!”

Janice carried out a volunteer internship, first as a librarian and then also helping with some broader administration tasks at ELP Porirua.

Janice continued this internship for more than a year, all the while continuing with employment applications, and also did an employment-focused course at ELP Porirua.

Through the rejection letters, the team she was volunteering with kept being positive and encouraging, offering great support.Just over a year into the volunteer internship, the ELP Porirua Centre requirements in administration increased, requiring an extra staff member.

Janice was offered the position.Shortly after starting the part-time hours at ELP Porirua, Janice was also offered casual administrative work at MBIE — work which then turned into a permanent role.Through the volunteer internship, Janice was able to show her skills were relevant to the workplace.

Working with the team at ELP Porirua also helped Janice develop her confidence and knowledge of the New Zealand workplace environment.

She practised her current skills, learned new skills, developed friends and a strong network, and ultimately obtained permanent, full-time employment.Janice Luaipouomalo Pritchard-SeluEnglish Language Partners Porirua & Volunteer Porirua

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

In 2016, I moved to New Zealand with my family to start a new life. Moving countries meant that my family and I had to start everything from scratch; new jobs, new friends, new experiences, new struggles.

Before coming to New Zealand, I used to work as an ESOL teacher at a primary school in UAE and I spoke English fluently, so I didn’t find it hard to make new friends or apply for jobs.

But there were many things that I didn’t know – where to buy things, where to take my children during weekends.

I also felt unproductive and bored, I needed to do something with my spare time.I came across English Language Partners’ website while searching for English teaching jobs in New Zealand.

English Language Partners needed volunteer home tutors to support former refugees and migrants with English and settlement in New Zealand.I met a lot of migrants in New Zealand who struggled to make friends or find jobs because of their English skills.

I also realised that volunteering was an opportunity to build my CV in New Zealand.

I immediately applied to attend one of English Language Partners’ tutor training courses.After completing my tutor training, I started teaching Jasmine, a Korean learner who had been living in New Zealand for 10 years at the time.

Jasmine knew a lot about New Zealand and Auckland in particular, and had three children like me.I was surprised by the amount of things that I have learnt from Jasmine.

I was not only teaching Jasmine, but I was also learning from her!I learnt a lot about Korea and the Korean culture from Jasmine.

I love Korea and I plan to visit it one day.

I also learnt a lot about life in New Zealand from Jasmine - where to go during weekends, and where to buy things.

Jasmine knew where to take the kids and which places to visit in New Zealand.

So she was a great help for me too.

Both of us were migrants, so we could easily relate to each other’s feelings, experiences, struggles and wins.I didn’t have any experience teaching adults before volunteering with English Language Partners.

Volunteering has helped me build my work experience in New Zealand, an opportunity that has opened new doors and horizons for me.

Volunteering made me feel productive and an important part of the New Zealand society.

Helping a person achieve their goals and build their confidence for further study and employment made my whole volunteering experience worthwhile.Volunteering has made me realise that we all need each other, that members of New Zealand society are all unique and different, like the pieces of a puzzle.

When each member of the society contributes a piece of the puzzle, the puzzle gets completed.

Likewise, when we all work together, we create opportunities and make a difference.Reem HassanEnglish Language Partners, Auckland

In 2013, my husband and I found out we were expecting multiples.

Early on in the pregnancy we joined Multiples NZ.

Multiples NZ is a nationwide, parent-led support network supporting families in their journey from expecting to raising multiples.

It’s a completely volunteer-run organisation that seeks to address the diverse needs of families with multiples through networking, education, support and advocacy.

We work in partnership with local Multiples Clubs, community groups, healthcare providers and educators to support our members.During pregnancy (and beyond) I was blessed to have a lovely buddy mum who answered all of my questions, a quarterly magazine all about multiples, and a huge village of multiple mums within an online support group.

At every stage of my children's development, there was a parent who was facing the same problems or milestones, or had been there!

This year, we marked a special milestone in our family.

At the beginning of December, our twinkles Xavier and Lilian turned five.

I didn't realise what an achievement that would feel like, having made it through those first hard and fast five years.

This milestone also marked my five years as a volunteer for Multiples NZ.In the early days, we were members of the Nelson/Marlborough satellite club of Multiples Canterbury.

It was there I started volunteering and was the local contact for families in the top of the south, as well as writing for the club magazine.

Fast forward five years, and I went from writing for and proofreading the magazine, to now heading into my second year as editor, and a member of the National Executive of Multiples NZ.

Along the way, I have also used my day job skills as a photographer and graphic designer in my role.

It is genuinely a lot of volunteer work, but somehow everything always falls into place.

We have the help of our awesome executive and support team, and with everyone contributing we are able to provide an amazing service to our families.Now I have my national role on the executive, the editor role, as well as being the local contact for Northland families after moving to 90 Mile Beach in 2015.

It really is weaving people together.

We have families who genuinely want to help parents of new and older multiples.

Through sharing stories, advice and support, we are helping to make raising our families easier.He waka eke noa - we are all in this together.Kirsty SaxonMultiples New Zealand

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map Launched

For NVW, Volunteering New Zealand has launched an interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

I started volunteering at Hawke’s Bay prison as my teaching career drew to a close.

I knew I didn’t want to work full-time anymore, but I also knew I’d miss teaching, and specifically teaching writing.I hadn’t realised how much I’d enjoy working with the men at the prison – and in fact, the more I’ve done, the more I’ve loved it.Mainly, I work with groups of 5-10 men, writing creatively.

My goal with each group is to get their voices on the page.

The work we do evolves as I get to know the group, but some aspects have become constant.The first time I met a group, I was nervous and unsure about what would work, so I fumbled around and tried a few different activities.

Eventually, I got them to just write one sentence, beginning, “I am…”.

Once they’d done that, I asked them to put the sentences together, deciding on the order as they went, and then give their poem a title.

The result — both the poem and its effect on the men – amazed me.

There was a shift in the room, from tension about writing to awareness of its possibilities, and a new sense of a shared endeavour.

Here’s that poem:

An Ordinary Guy

I am a warrior from a long line of chiefs.

I am the type to listen before you speak.

I am the person in Cell 55.

I am the person in the front of the class thinking how did I come to stand here?

I am the person who is lost in the moment.

I am a man leading my soldiers to war.

I am an artist.

My body is my canvas.

I am an alien in a foreign country.

I am the fulla with the scar on my face.

I am an ordinary type of guy.

I always begin classes this way now.

It’s less stressful for participants at the start to write only one sentence, and powerful when their experiences weave together into fresh narratives.

After that, I have a variety of starters to use, depending on the group and the moment.

After the Christchurch terrorist attack, for example, I asked the men to write a response to ‘My Aotearoa’.

By the final class, we focus on selecting and editing drafts, with the completed pieces forming a small anthology which each member of the group gets a copy of.I don’t want to give the impression I’m in any way selfless in running these classes.

I get at least as much from it as the men do.

That moment when a story or poem that didn’t exist is now in the world – there’s no better feeling.

And, as every teacher knows, it’s such a blast when someone ‘gets it’: when they realise they’ve put something on a page that captures their thoughts, or their heart, or their story.JoHawkesbay Regional Prison

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

Clare Daish recently joined Youthline as the newsletter editor for the comms team.

Currently working for the Parliamentary Services, she is also studying nursing at Whitireia Polytechnic.So what inspired her to add a volunteering role to her already busy life?“I think I was inspired to join Youthline because I’ve seen first hand how much young people can struggle in today's society.

I’ve had a lot of peers describe feeling like they can’t talk to anyone in their life about their feelings for various reasons.

I think that this is where Youthline comes in handy.

I basically just wanted to help out in whatever small way possible to hopefully spread some awareness on youth wellbeing and how Youthline can help those in need.”She credits her fellow volunteers for keeping her on top of things when struggling to juggle all her commitments.“I like the attitudes of all my fellow Youthline volunteers.

The atmosphere they create is so welcoming and positive.

It makes me feel very optimistic that this amazing group of people are taking time out of their busy lives to help out our youth and shape our next generation.”

She has already learned a lot from her time at Youthline, and it has taught her a great deal about volunteering, and people in general.“It is all very heart-warming seeing the good in people.

There is a great range of things that Youthline does to benefit the young people of New Zealand.

I think that even simply raising awareness of mental wellbeing, and being there for other people, makes large change in our societies attitudes towards these more taboo topics.“I believe that fostering the healthy attitudes and positive values that Youthline promotes, this is helping shape our young people into their best selves.

This will ultimately benefit New Zealand society in the future.”

Claire DaishYouthline Wellington

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

When Shashi Kariyawasam came to New Zealand from Sri Lanka in 2018, she'd never done any volunteering.

That soon changed.The 29-year-old volunteered at Special Olympics and got involved with Multicultural Whangarei for a resettlement programme at the Whangarei Migrant Centre.“I worked as a coordinator at the Special Olympics, so I would go to trainings and practices and help cheer up the athletes and help them,” Shashi says. “I also worked at the Migrant Centre on a new project, helping to empower new migrants gain employment”.Having left Sri Lanka to get a better education, Shashi fell into volunteering through her course at NorthTec.“On the first day at NorthTec they dragged us to the Volunteering Northland Centre and told us we could volunteer as a firefighter, we could cook, garden”.She says she loves volunteering for the sense of satisfaction she gets out of helping people.“At the end of the day, I just love the feeling of having done something good and accomplishing something.”But volunteering has served another purpose for Shashi – making friends and meeting people. “Earlier I didn't know anyone here, and now they all know me so that's really good.”Continuing her volunteering efforts, Shashi has also helped Volunteering Northland at community events, and both her and her husband Manoj have enjoyed volunteer face-painting at the Pasifika Fusion Festival in Whangarei.

Other volunteer roles included being an Area Coordinator for Pink Ribbon Street Appeal and supporting the Cancer Society – Relay for Life.

Shashi is now continuing the good work of Rotary International as one of South Rotary Whangarei's newest members.Shashi's efforts in the Whangarei community are really making a difference.Original story by: Staff reporter of the Northern Advocate.Story sent to us by: Volunteering Northland

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map Launched

For NVW, Volunteering New Zealand has launched an interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

When Celine Filbee joined the Taranaki Kiwi Trust as manager, she decided to experience firsthand the work its volunteers do — by joining an egg-lifting mission.The Taranaki Kiwi Trust helps protect the wild kiwi that live in the steep bush around northern Taranaki.

The trust monitors the birds through transmitters attached to their legs, and volunteers embark on carefully-timed missions to remove any eggs the kiwi lay.

The eggs are transported to the National Kiwi Hatchery in Rotorua for incubation, and when the chicks are big enough, they are taken back to Taranaki to be released in a protected area.

This increases the chances of a wild chick surviving by up to 50 per cent.Celine’s first egg-lifting mission was a memorable experience.

It began with a 6.30am meet up, followed by a 90 minute drive into the remote Waitaanga conservation area.“They start early, that’s for sure!” she says. “Teams set off in different directions, armed with a water bottle each, equipment for transmitter changes, telemetry gear and a small chilly bin, both of which are cumbersome in the bush.”Celine and her team trekked through the bush until they reached the stomping ground of Winter, one of the wild birds monitored by the trust.

The telemetry gear used to monitor Winter provided valuable information about the bird’s recent activity, but for Celine, finding the kiwi wasn’t as simple as she had anticipated.

“It took us over an hour to track down Winter’s burrow,” Celine remembers. “It would seem this is not unusual, an exercise in patience for the most impatient person in the world, peppered with clambering up and down banks, crossing a small tributary of the river on very slippery papa several times, all while trying to be quiet!”Eventually, the team uncovered the burrow, and after “a little bush whacking”, team member Sue emerged carrying Winter.

Celine was then tasked with holding the wild bird while Sue performed transmitter maintenance, measured Winter’s bill and did a health check.“Luckily Winter was calm while Sue replaced his transmitter for one with a new battery,” Celine says. “She then went back into the burrow to retrieve the two huge eggs nestled there.

They went into the chilly bin in a new burrow of work socks which had been warmed previously using a hot water bottle.

Winter was returned safely to his nest and we set off sliding down banks, clambering over trees and rock hopping back up the river, but this time I had been entrusted with the cargo, two kiwi eggs!”Celine made her way with the precious cargo back to the vehicles, where the volunteers met to compare notes — and eggs.

In total, the teams found four eggs on the trip, which would later be transported to the hatchery by another volunteer.The day was a long one, but the experience showed Celine just how much effort volunteers put in to help protect one of New Zealand’s most beloved birds.Celine FilbeeTaranaki Kiwi Trust

This story was shared during #NVW2019 and a campaign aimed to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

Changing the odds for people who have been dealt a bad hand in life — that’s why Rita volunteers her time at Servants Health Centre.Dunedin’s Servants Health Centre provides free healthcare to people who would otherwise struggle to afford medical treatment.

It was founded in 2010 by two doctors and a midwife, who recognised the need for the service in the city and were inspired by their Christian faith to help others.Rita is one of the volunteers at the centre, and she says she gets a real sense of fulfilment from her work.“I came to Servants because of a desire to contribute,” she explains. “So many people have been dealt a ‘bad hand’: sexual abuse, physical abuse, abandonment, non-acceptance.

We’re all a bit broken but if we can deal a ‘good hand’ to people, then we can help bring about positive change.”One of her favourite parts of the role is seeing the positive changes in people.“I see patients feeling safe and it’s beautiful.

Everyone is welcomed here and we don’t judge.

I love to see that every patient gets a welcoming face and that they are known and have a sense of belonging, because in life they are not always welcomed.”While Rita first got involved to give to others, she has also gained a lot from her volunteer experience.“I would tell any nurse who wants to volunteer at Servants that you will learn much more than what you will give.

What I’ve learned here with regards to true general healthcare is phenomenal.”RitaServants Health Centre

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map Launched

For NVW, Volunteering New Zealand has launched an interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

Whiria te tangata/weaving the people together – the theme of Volunteer Week 2019 — perfectly describes the strength underlying lifeguard Peter Boyd’s work building a new surf lifesaving club for his isolated East Coast community, founded on kaupapa from Ngati Porou and Surf Life Saving New Zealand.Peter is the founder and club coordinator of the country’s newest surf lifesaving club, the Ngati Porou SLSC, which patrols the remote Onepoto Beach in Hicks Bay, the northernmost beach on the East Coast.Peter became a volunteer lifeguard at Wainui SLSC in Gisborne, and loved it.“My family were surfers and were always in the ocean, so I was asked to be a lifeguard when I was 17 in 1984,” he says.In his 26 years with Wainui SLSC, he carried out regular patrols, became part of its governance committee, and represented the club in surf lifesaving sports.He also took part in the nationwide resurgence in waka ama, and realised his East Coast community needed lifeguard services to keep them safe doing waka ama, collecting kai moana, fishing and swimming.“I could see in Surf Life Saving NZ the water safety message and the skills we needed in our community were already there.”Now, the club’s members patrol during summer, and train year-round in water safety, rescue techniques, first aid, leadership and teamwork, as well as running a Nippers programme for children.The club provides opportunities for young people to gain leadership experience and valuable skills.

They have also formed a partnership with the local kura kaupapa, whose teachers are becoming lifeguards and teach lifeguard skills through the club as part of the school curriculum.“One of the ancestors Ngati Porou came from is Paikea, the whale rider, he was an expert in the sea and he had to make sure he was safe in the sea.

You could say he was the original East Coast lifeguard.”The decision to call the club Ngati Porou Surf Life Saving Club, rather than Onepoto SLSC, as is convention, was an important one.“The reason for calling it Ngati Porou Surf Life Saving was it wasn’t a name isolating us to Onepoto Beach, rather it opened us up to within the whole Ngati Porou area.

It was a cultural and strategic move.“The club is open to everyone, and serves everyone, and this opens the door to those descended from Ngati Porou.”The club has been founded from the beginning with the intention to come towards surf lifesaving from a cultural perspective, he says.“It’s taken a little while for the idea of lifeguarding to catch on in our iwi – because the idea is seen as a mainstream Pakeha thing.“But I say it is  us.

Because of our ocean culture.

We’re not just people of the land, we’re people of the sea, and respect for the sea and lifeguarding and safety are who we are.“It’s culturally more inviting - we can draw down on our cultural connections for Ngati Porou.

We have a thousand year history with the ocean.”Peter says the surf lifesaving movement’s mission to serve the community melds strongly with traditional Māori ideas about serving the community.“We have a saying – we say ‘we have the whānau, hapu, iwi – it’s always about the collective’.“We’ve qualified 18 new guards this season.

And I’m seeing our young people that we trained win awards and grow, and seeing people enjoying the ocean as a way of life.”Ngati Porou SLSC now has over 25 members, aged from 14 to 66, and helps patrol nearly 200 kilometres of East Coast/Tairawhiti coastline, working closely with neighbouring clubs in the district, Gisborne and Tolaga Bay.During summer there is an influx of visitors to the beaches, who swim, surf and enjoy boating, but often aren’t familiar with local conditions – a big challenge for a small surf lifesaving club.Last summer Peter and his nephews pulled four festival-goers out of a rip, and a nephew used a surfboard to rescue another who was drowning.Peter is heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the club, and carrying out patrols.

Right now he is gearing up for the winter training season, including an IRB (inflatable rescue boat) training camp for the district, that the club is able to participate in thanks to the donation of a new IRB from BP in April.“It feels great to know the skills you have, have been able to save people’s lives.

You feel proud,” Peter says. “It’s a wonderful thing, knowing that those skills are going into the community.”Peter BoydinNgati Porou Surf Life Saving Club

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

When I first arrived at Victoria University of Wellington from India, I didn’t know anyone.

As an international student, I was on the lookout for a community to join that I was both passionate about and could help me meet new people.

I started to look at volunteer roles through the Victoria Plus Programme as a way to connect and make friends.The IHC one-to-one friendship programme seemed like the perfect fit for me.

I knew that I would be paired with someone who needed a friend and I needed a friend as much as they did.

I was able to support my buddy with everyday tasks and have lots of fun.

One day, my buddy wanted to make Nankhatai (an Indian biscuit) but the problem was I had never made it before!

We tried it together and everyone in the centre loved it.Another volunteer opportunity that caught my eye was the Fruit and Vegetable Co-operative at Victoria University of Wellington.

The Co-operative distributes fresh and affordable produce across the University’s campuses each week, contributing to a healthy food environment for staff and students.

The Co-operative could not function without the support of its volunteers, who help collect, pack and distribute orders.

Volunteering is not a job that you have to do.

It’s something that you are so passionate about that you want to do it.

I joined the Fruit and Vegetable Co-operative as a volunteer because I understand the important role accessible fresh fruit and vegetables play in health and wellbeing.

Put simply, I believe in what the Co-operative stands for.My first volunteer role was as a packer.

Fruit and vegetable orders are packed up for collection every week - we unload the produce from the delivery trucks, set up the tables, and pack all of the orders ready for collection by our members.

The pack out reminds me of a movie in which Santa’s elves in the North Pole worked together to pack Christmas gifts for children.

There’s a real sense of excitement as we work together as a team, enjoying ourselves throughout the process.

We play music, we chat, we are one big diverse community.After some time as a packer, I became the Pack-out Coordinator and then later moved on to do the accounts, which complemented my studies in Accounting.My other volunteer roles included being a Buddy for International students and a Residential Assistant at the University’s Willis Street Hall.

In these roles, I was able to share my own experiences with other international students new to New Zealand.

I also volunteered for Trade Aid because, being from India myself, I have seen the problems that small-scale artisans face when it comes to selling their produce and I really wanted to be able to support them in any way possible.My volunteering helped me achieve the Victoria Plus Award alongside my Master of Professional Accounting.

This was great recognition for doing something I enjoy.

Ankita ParmarVictoria Plus Programme

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map

This story was shared as part of our interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa, which we launched during #NVW2019.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.

Andrew Pang has been volunteering at Youthline Wellington since December 2016.

Already working as a counsellor as his day job, his Youthline role has enabled him to further his passion for working with young people.As well as phone counselling, he has helped out with peer supervision and represented Youthline at events and fundraising.

He values the support, learning, and connection he gets from the peer supervision group, and says the volunteers of Youthline are generally a bunch of caring and wonderful people.Does he feel like he is making a difference in young people’s lives with his Youthline work?

“Yes!

So many calls, texts, and emails.

The most obvious ones are when someone is at risk and you provide essential support for them to get through a tough time.

Less obvious ones are when you help someone reflect on their situation so that at some point when they feel able to, they can make a proactive decision to make a positive change in their life.”Andrew enjoys working at Youthline and encourages others to join in volunteering.“Youthline has been a very rewarding experience and I’ve met so many amazing empathetic people through it.”Andrew PangYouthline Wellington

Interactive Volunteer Stories Map Launched

For NVW, Volunteering New Zealand has launched an interactive map of volunteer stories from across Aotearoa.

This map is filled with stories from volunteers throughout Aotearoa, New Zealand.

This map celebrates the contribution of volunteers in their communities throughout Aotearoa.

It aims to inspire people to engage in volunteering, Mahi Aroha and social action and to realise the benefits of weaving their communities together through their actions.