By SociaLink General Manager Liz Davies
It’s not been a great summer – more rain than you can poke a stick at, the poor whānau who have lost or been evacuated
from their homes, flooded properties, hospitality and tourist businesses suffering from a lack of holiday makers.
Weather events remind us of the power of the environment or taio we live in and can make us feel we have less control
than we think we have.
How do we build resilience in the light of what seems ever increasing, extreme, one-in-100 year weather events? The
people who get hammered the most are those who are already struggling.
They can’t afford insurance and have the least resources to adapt to a changing climate.
One way to build resiliency is to find purpose, and the main way to live a meaningful, satisfying life is to give, to
help others.
If you have set New Year goals and failed or haven’t set any goals for 2023, one goal could be to volunteer to build
your resilience and add meaning to your life. Giving back gives purpose and builds your resilience.
Groups that rely on volunteers almost completely are environmental groups who are struggling to find people to help out.
Volunteering for an environmental group will make you feel like you are regaining control by helping our planet while
enjoying our beautiful natural environment as well as gaining a sense of satisfaction and purpose.
If you want to find more about volunteering, please come along to SociaLink’s event on March 22, Feel Good by Doing
Good, which will be showcasing volunteering opportunities and featuring keynote speakers talking about the benefits of
volunteering, for both organisations and the volunteers themselves.
We’ll hear from Damian D’Cruz of Mind Spring, who has worked with numerous organisations, including Fonterra, the Fire
Service, Air New Zealand and the Ministry of Health. He runs a boutique training and consulting company focused on
innovative training and skilled facilitation.
This event will be held in the Pavilion at The Kollective from 5pm to 8pm - and yes there’ll be food!
It will also be the official launch of SociaLink’s new arm, Volunteering Services.
We’ll be looking into the many areas volunteering can expand into -– opportunities for migrants to learn English, build
connections with locals for newcomers, a chance for
young people to undertake social action, environmental causes and those volunteering
opportunities that can grow into employment opportunities and career progression.
Volunteering, taking social action, could be the best thing you do for your mental health in an
uncertain world. It will also be the best thing you can do to build your resilience and that of your community. Register
at