Yvonne and Graeme are both part of the Hospice West Auckland volunteer team. They had first-hand experience with Hospice when they tragically lost their son several years ago, and wanted to give back to the charity. “It’s a fabulous organisation,” says Yvonne. “We do so much good in the community. And we have a lot of empathy with people, we understand what they’re going through.”
Yvonne has been a retail volunteer for six years. She initially worked at the Hobsonville Hospice Op Shop until it closed when the lease ran out, then after the covid lockdowns she moved to the Glen Eden store, where she continues to volunteer each week.
Yvonne loves her volunteer days which are ‘always interesting and filled with lots of lovely people’. “You find that people donate for very genuine reasons,” she says. “Sometimes people come in with items that are hard to part with, which are so personal to them. They can find it hard to let go but they’ve made that wonderful decision to donate to our cause. They often want to share the background and it’s lovely to hear the stories behind their donations.”
There’s no such thing as a typical day at any of the Hospice Op Shops. You never know what items will be donated, or how many will come through the door on any given day. Flexibility is key as staff and volunteers may be required to sort donations, price and merchandise, create displays or rearrange stock, as well as constantly serving and assisting customers. “It can be a bit crazy but it’s a fun team and that’s why I enjoy it,” says Yvonne. “Everybody who comes in is happy and friendly, it makes it so enjoyable and interesting to work there.”
Over the years Graeme has also become involved with Hospice through repairing and restoring donated goods. “What I’ve done over the years is just fix things up,” he explains. “When items get donated that might have a wonky leg or need painting or sanding, or a bit of glue and a couple of screws… any way I can make it saleable. You see the potential and think, this could be really nice. It doesn’t take me any time, it’s just simple stuff. Rather than throw it away, if it can be repaired and sold then why not?”
Before and after: donated items Graeme has restored for sale
Yvonne and Graeme recall the time that he fixed a donated scooter with cables that needed adjusting and it was purchased by one of Hospice’s most loyal fundraisers with the biggest personality, Johnny Green. Now in his 90s, Johnny has collected donations for Hospice West Auckland for several years by displaying his 11,000+ egg cup collection. Graeme had restored the scooter to perfect working order, and Johnny was so delighted by the find that he promptly scooted out of the shop on it – with everyone watching nervously! “I was thinking: no way! I hope he’s not riding it too much and it went to one of his grandkids or great-grandkids,” laughs Graeme.
Graeme also volunteers his time driving a health shuttle for Hato Hone St John. The West Auckland region has two Waka Ora health shuttles that pickup people from their homes and take them to health-related appointments. “It could be to their GP, the pharmacy, or Waitakere hospital. It could be for blood tests, eye tests, physio appointments – a variety of things,” says Graeme. “On a busy day we’ll drive five or six patients around. And we have a wheelchair hoist in the back of the shuttle so we can transport people in wheelchairs too.” This wonderful free service is available to our Hospice West Auckland patients – to make a booking you simply phone the St John shuttle booking line on 0800 9252 672, or click here for more options and information.
Yvonne and Graeme both agree that they get a lot of satisfaction contributing to Hospice and giving back. “And I love the companionship and friendship at the store too,” adds Yvonne. “I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who has some spare time.” She also takes the opportunity to tell customers and donors about the cause behind the op shop, explaining what Hospice does and helping shoppers to understand the connection between the store and the free palliative care provided to the West Auckland community.
