Volunteer Week was 16-22 June, so this is a bit late. But by way of explanation, I received a letter early last week, (dated 19 June, so tells you something of the speed of our postal system!) it was from my local Member of Parliament thanking me for my many hours of volunteer services as a Justice of the Peace. He outlined a bit of History about the 1st Justice of the Peace appointed in 1814 who were the mainstay of the justice system in NZ till the appointment of the 1st Magistrate some 54 years later in 1868.
There has been a massive increase in volunteer hours as a ‘JP” with all the changes in AML (Anti Money Laundering) regulation, with copies of almost any document needing to be certified for most applications for almost anything. As a JP this is but one of the free services we offer.

The main ‘Shout out’ for volunteer week that I really wanted to focus on was the AMAZING VOLUNTEERS who help out at the Loss & Grief Centre, 1 Kapiti Road, Paraparaumu.

The Centre runs a host of ‘Support Services’ from paid Counselling, but also other free services, some of which are paid for by sponsorship, the principal sponsor being Kapiti Coast Funeral Home.
The free support services offered include ‘Support Groups’ who meet weekly, and the Caring for Carers’ groups, also a library of books anyone can borrow,
but I wanted to highlight the amazing ‘Companioning Service’ that the volunteers are the main-stay of.
The role of ‘Companion’ is a person who journeys with those who have suffered loss, through death, through phone calls, and or offering visits and meetings, or referral onto help organisations, along with cards or notes at important dates like birthdays and death anniversary.

If this is something you would like please contact Loss and Grief
on 027 3557947 www.lossandgrief.co.nz
As a founding Trustee of this charity, it is important to acknowledge these amazing few who give of their time freely, so without naming, and possibly embarrassing any of these amazing volunteers, I give a big shout out ’ THANK YOU’ as a public acknowledgement of all that
you do for those in need
in our community.