7 September 2022
Meet Zenobia Chotsy - keen gardener and passionate home cook. Zenobia also volunteers in the kitchen at our Hibiscus Coast Inpatient Unit.
What inspired you to volunteer for Harbour Hospice?
My husband and I moved to New Zealand from the States in 2018 to retire. I had volunteered in the States in the children’s ward at my local hospital, and as an advocate in the court system for children who had been abused. I wanted to carry on volunteering.
The volunteer work you do now is quite different to what you did in the States.
Yes, the work with the children was rewarding. But it could be difficult to separate your emotions from the reality of what was happening. I like working with food, so this role is really interesting to me. I’m surrounded by wonderful people. The day patients that come into hospice really enjoy their time and it’s so nice to see.
What do you do in the kitchen?
We make sandwiches, soups, quiches. We help with food preparation for patient meals and the catering for training sessions and conferences held at Hibiscus House. I love the way the hospice cooks always make an extra effort – if there are tomatoes that need to be used, they’ll make lovely relishes to put in people’s sandwiches... A lot of thought goes into what people will enjoy.
What do you get out of volunteering?
It’s a small effort to give back to the community. I feel like I’m blessed in a lot of ways and when I come home from my Wednesday shift I feel blessed and happy that I’ve been able to help others in some small way.
Click here to find out more about volunteering at Harbour Hospice.
