18 June 2022
It's National Volunteer Week - Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu (19-25 June) and we’re marking it by recognising staff and volunteers who have given five, 10, 15, 20, 25 and even 30 years’ service at our Long Service Awards, held at each of our three sites. We’ve put together a few stories about some of these volunteers, too, so keep an eye out for these over the coming days and weeks.
At Harbour Hospice we’re supported by an incredible 1200 volunteers, and last year they freely gave 172,000 hours of their time, energy and skills. Without their support we wouldn’t be the multi-disciplined, dedicated service we are today, caring for a growing number of patients in the community.
The past few months have been challenging with Omicron in the community, and our volunteers not only continued to stand by us, they stepped up and did so much more than we could have expected, to support Hospice and one another.
They covered one another’s shifts in the shops when people were sick with Covid-19. Some even stepped out of their normal roles and into retail ones to help keep our shop doors open.
Some of our life story writers continued taking down patients’ stories remotely during lockdown. Our patient-facing volunteers remained loyal until it was safe to return to their roles.
From tending our gardens to helping in our kitchens, working in our shops and so much more, our volunteers are an integral part of who we are and what we do, and we’re privileged to have their support.
