13 December 2023
Ten years ago Farmers began generously supporting hospices throughout New Zealand by selling a special hospice Christmas bauble and setting up Trees of Remembrance instore, on which customers can leave a note in remembrance of a loved one for a donation. 100% of bauble sale proceeds and donations are passed on to hospice.
One Farmers customer that gives her unwavering support to the campaign is Emma Coupe of Wainui. Emma began collecting the baubles five years ago after Harbour Hospice cared for her brother-in-law, Steve.
Uncle Steve, as he was affectionately known by the family, was a father of six daughters and an all-round great guy. After he was diagnosed with cancer he was cared for at Harbour Hospice’s North Shore-based Inpatient Unit for a number of months and Emma says hospice was “just wonderful with him. Absolutely brilliant”.
She says, “The family could not have wished for a more caring environment for Steve to be in.”
Each bauble Emma buys she writes the year it came out in on its box and she keeps the baubles in their boxes so they stay in mint condition. The feather bauble is her favourite but she thinks they’re all beautiful. “Honestly, the baubles are such gorgeous pieces of art in their own right. Nowadays, so many of the Christmas decorations are cheap and nasty but these are so unique, and I think it's a gorgeous thing to be able to keep them and pass them down.
“Christmas can be hard because not all our loved ones are here but I'm a big believer in that they are still here with us as long as we’re remembering them. Putting the baubles on the Christmas tree at home and writing a message for the people we love to leave on a Tree of Remembrance is a really nice way to be able to acknowledge them and remember how much they meant to us.”
Please support hospice at your local Farmers store:
- Farmers Westfield Albany
- Farmers Home Store Albany
- Farmers Glenfield
- Farmers Silverdale
- Farmers Takapuna
Thank you and thank you Farmers. Your support makes a world of difference to our patients and their families and whānau.
