Amber has been a retail volunteer at our Hospice Op Shops for an incredible 12 years. She began at the Te Atatū store before moving to Henderson, and now volunteers for one shift per week at the Massey Hospice Op Shop.
Amber was finishing at Unitec and looking for a paid position when her Dad came home with a newspaper advertising for Hospice volunteers. Over the years her confidence and skills have increased significantly from sorting donations, to merchandising, to serving on the tills. “I like serving customers,” says Amber. “It’s my favourite thing to do. And I’m doing much more now than I was to start with.”
While Amber occasionally needs support with some trickier tasks like complicated transactions, the store’s team are always on hand to assist her. “They help me to have a good understanding of how to do things,” she explains.
Hospice’s large team of retail volunteers provide invaluable support to our network of Op Shops, helping to ensure our stores run smoothly and efficiently. “The volunteers are all really nice, and I’ve made friends too,” says Amber.
The Massey Hospice Op Shop has a lot of regular customers who are local, just like Amber. “The customers are really nice and friendly,” she says. “It’s nice to see the same people come in.”
When it comes to op shopping, Amber particularly loves jewellery and has found some stunning collector’s pieces over the years. And although her role is perfect for spotting jewellery to add to her collection, her main motivation for volunteering is a desire to give back to her community. She also has her own personal connection to Hospice, when a friend’s Mum was cared for by Hospice West Auckland.
Amber’s volunteering experience helped her to secure a paid position working in a daycare centre – which she also loves. “It’s fun, I like being with the children, and we’ve got a great staff team,” she says.
Amber is a valued member of Hospice’s retail volunteers and a much-loved part of the Massey store team, always ready with a smile and helpful attitude. Her loyalty and willingness to give back make her a shining example of the truly meaningful impact our volunteers make.
The Massey Hospice Op Shop, 396 Don Buck Road, open 9am – 5pm, 7 days.
