20 April, 2020
If there is such a thing as an enviable problem, our shops have it. They are so busy that we constantly need more volunteers.
We are looking for people in all our communities who can commit to a few hours on a regular basis, whether monthly, fortnightly or even weekly.
You might be surprised by the range of roles our shop volunteers can choose from. Volunteers may help with collection and delivery, testing electrical items, sorting, pricing, cleaning goods, and working at the counter.
Volunteer Services Manager Vicki Parker says many who give time to hospice discover unexpected and life-changing rewards. “As a hospice volunteer you will be part of a busy and vibrant team of people who care about their community,” she says. “You will be rewarded not only by fun and friendships, but also by knowing you are making a real difference to the families in our care.”
People volunteer at the shops for all sorts of reasons. For some, it’s a way of giving back after a loved one has received hospice care. For others, it’s a way to make friends or reconnect with their community after living elsewhere. Some are customers who fall in love with the op shop culture and others follow a family tradition.
If you would like to know more about volunteering in our shops, please contact vicki.parker@harbourhospice.org.nz or call in to your local hospice shop.
Mere Witika began volunteering in the Orewa Shop three years ago after her husband Murray received hospice care. Mere says it was important at the beginning of her journey without Murray to have something new to look forward to.
“It really helped to make contact with new people in my life and people who’d been through what I’d been through,” Mere says. “I love the friendships I’ve made since I’ve been there and what we give each other.”
