Our volunteers
Meet our ‘green fingered’ Jill
With a house large enough for 48 families, you might well ask who would be brave enough to take on the gardens? Jill is our ‘gardening guru’ who tends to our flowers and keeps the weeds at bay — and we couldn’t manage without her!
2009 marks Jill’s 12th year of volunteering at the House. Her volunteer role has taken many turns during this time, from oven cleaning, making lunches and entertaining our school kids, to decorating our Christmas trees and what is now her prime task — caring for our large, encroaching gardens. For four hours each fortnight Jill clears, sweeps digs, plants and plans the garden areas around our House, to help make it a pleasant environment for families.
A grandmother of four, life for Jill is never dull. In between owning a painting and decorating business with her husband Graham, Jill also finds time to keep active at the gym, study genealogy, help out at the local school, and also manages to spend time knitting for premature babies.
Because Jill knows our gardens better than anyone, she will play a major part in the development and upkeep of our new family garden opening later this year. This is an exciting addition to the House so keep your eyes open for updates.
Every home needs a garden and every garden needs someone to care for it and Jill’s main drive for volunteering year after year comes from the relationships that she has made with families during this time. “I have met some wonderful families and made some very close connections over my time here,” she says. As one of our longest standing volunteers, Jill is an invaluable asset to our ‘home away from home’.
Meet Lance from ASB
ASB Private Bank Manager, Lance Hutchison is now in his third year of volunteering his time to cook and coordinate a team of ASB staff for our weekly family dinners.
ASB Bank became our new bankers in 2006 — “We wanted to be more than just ‘bankers to the Trust‘, hence the ASB Volunteer Cooking Project was born.” Having put a call out amongst ASB Auckland Central staff for more volunteers to assist with the Family Dinner programme, Lance now has a waiting list of employees a mile long.
The dinners are no easy feat. As Lance points out, “With about 12 staff volunteering for each dinner and the shopping and preparation time, we would collectively volunteer about 80 hours per dinner!” And what a feast they deliver! Every six weeks families get to enjoy the culinary talents of the ASB cooking group — from roast chickens to BBQs, not to mention the yummy cheesecakes.
Aside from his day job at ASB Bank and being a valued volunteer at the House, Lance also devotes his time to being a marriage celebrant, a Justice of the Peace, mentor, and played a big part in the establishment of Harold (the giraffe mascot) and the Life Education Trust in Auckland which he is still heavily involved with. We are very lucky to have him!
New Barbeques
Thanks to Kingdom Trust, ASB and Lance, Mitre 10 Warkworth the House’s volunteer cooks have 5 new barbeques just in time for our 14th birthday and the summer season.
“One of the greatest benefits of being part of the House has been getting to know some of the amazing, brave and resilient children” — Angela
Angela
For almost a year Angela Dwyer has been a vital support to our onsite teacher, Marion, and teacher aide, Jocelyn, by regularly volunteering in our School.
Angela keeps the classroom looking beautiful by freshening up the walls with the children’s artwork, assisting with administration and encouraging children’s creative minds by getting stuck in with our art sessions.
One of the greatest benefits of being part of the House, Angela says “has been getting to know some of the amazing, brave and resilient children… When I first heard about Ronald McDonald houses many years ago I thought what a wonderful concept it was and now I have a little spare time I’m glad to be able to be involved in a small way.”
Angela manages to fit her weekly voluntary work in around two part time jobs and a number hobbies including studying her genealogy and, more recently, training and competing in her first duathalon. Way to go Angela!
“I work in a fairly corporate environment and was looking for a way to give a little back … volunteering has enriched my life. I love feeling like I’ve done something really useful” — Leigh
Leigh
Since May 2007 Leigh has been gifting three hours of her time each week to our House and Family Room.
Every Sunday evening Leigh supports our Weekend Supervisor by answering the phones, greeting arriving families, assisting departing families, lugging around port-a-cots and trundling linen to rooms, tidying the kitchens and living areas and helping out with day-to-day administration. Leigh has also, on request, filled in as Shift Supervisor for the Family Room in Starship.
“I’ve always thought Ronald McDonald House was a great facility that provides an amazing service for families when they need it most. I work in a fairly corporate environment and was looking for a way to give a little back …Volunteering has enriched my life. I love feeling like I’ve done something really useful with my week,” says Leigh.
Leigh’s dedication to the House means that she juggles her volunteer work with full time employment, spending quality time with friends and family, and some tough DIY work in her hard-earned new home!
