Page 2 - TOH_Newsletter_July2024

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TE OMANGA HOSPICE NEWSLETTER
OUR INCREDIBLE VOLUNTEERS
National Volunteer Week, held annually in June, is a special time for us to highlight and thank all our incredible volunteers for everything they do for our hospice.
To celebrate, we shared the stories of some of our volunteers on our social media channels, who talked about what it is like volunteering for our hospice.
Meet Suraj:
Suraj joined the Hospice team in 2021, after seeing an advertisement for volunteers in the window of our Petone Retail Store.
After initially starting as a volunteer in our Retail Logistics team, Suraj found his passion and became a chef in our Kitchen team. Our volunteer chefs play an important role, preparing nutritious and appetising meals for patients in the Inpatient Unit.
Originally from Nepal, Suraj’s favourite meals to cook are those that include the delicious flavours and taste of home. “I have a deep passion for cooking, and there’s nothing quite like the joy of bringing happiness to others through food,” says Suraj.
In the last year, 442 volunteers donated 39,486 hours of time to support the overall service we provide to the patients, their families and whānau.
When he isn’t volunteering, Suraj works at a café as a Head Chef and enjoys spending time in his garden growing a variety of fruit and vegetables.
Suraj praises the Hospice for its sense of belonging and encourages others to join the Volunteer team if they can, “Joining the Hospice community allows you to share your talents, and together with everyone’s contributions we all make a positive difference. While serving people during the most difficult moments of their lives at the end of their journey isn’t exactly enjoyable, I find solace in knowing that I’m doing something meaningful”, says Suraj.
Suraj not only enjoys volunteering at the Hospice, but it has also inspired him to start a career in nursing. “I hope to pursue nursing study next year. Volunteering at the Hospice has given me the chance to create positive experiences and memories that not only can impact those we care for, but also ourselves. I would love to become a nurse at the Hospice one day,” adds Suraj.
If you are interested in being a volunteer, gaining work experience, doing something meaningful in the community, and building friendships, please contact Volunteer Manager, Rachel on (04) 974-8121 or email volunteers@teomanga.org.nz.
Our much-anticipated annual Vintners’ Lunch will be held on Sunday 15 September at the Lower Hutt Events Centre. Join us to enjoy a stunning six- course meal with fantastic entertainment, while raising much needed funds for Te Omanga Hospice. See page 6 for more.