Volunteers are at the heart of Plunket services

Plunket is celebrating its volunteers across the country and the diverse ways in which they give their time to support families with young children.

National Volunteer Week begins on Sunday, with the themes Make time - Whai whā and Thanks for making time - Kia ora mō tāu whai whā.

“Volunteers founded Plunket in 1907 to ‘help the mothers and save the babies’ and more than a century later, volunteers are still at the heart of our services for families,” says Christine Lake, Plunket New Zealand Acting President.

“National Volunteer Week is a chance for us to say thank you to all those who make time and give their individual skills to help families in their local communities, this week and every week.”

Thousands of people across the country give back to their local communities by volunteering for Plunket. “Today, there is great diversity in how volunteers are giving their time – people are just as likely to run a local Plunket Facebook page or produce an e-newsletter as staff a Plunket family centre.

“Many of Plunket’s volunteer-run services come from the local community, from our new Baby Boutique volunteer group in Hastings which gathers clothing donations from the community for families in need, to the Temuka Plunket Easter Egg Hunt fundraising event. The people who are best equipped to help support families are often other families in the same community.”

Plunket has developed a volunteer strategy with a focus on supporting those who make time in their busy schedules to provide services for their local community, says National Advisor Volunteers Maia Faulkner.

“We want to make available to people the kinds of opportunities they want to volunteer for. Volunteers today are more interested in project volunteering for a specific period of time, or for a specific service.

”Plunket is committed to volunteering because research and our own experience show that children are more likely to thrive when they grow up in connected communities where families give their time to help each other. We’re grateful to every volunteer who has contributed their time to help families.”

If you are interested in getting involved in your local community, gaining new skills, and helping Plunket get the best start for every child, please contact your local Plunket office or visitplunket.org.nz

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