Volunteers a driving force behind the Blind Foundation

Volunteers a driving force behind the Blind Foundation

The Blind Foundation salutes its army of volunteers, who have shared more than 260,000 hours of their time over the past year to support New Zealanders who are blind or have low vision.

“Our volunteers perform vital tasks both large and small which all come together to make a huge difference in our clients lives,” explains Blind Foundation Community Engagement Practice Leader Alison Marshall. “It’s thanks to our volunteers that we can deliver as many services as we do to our clients throughout New Zealand”.

For Auckland resident Jo Abplanalp, becoming a Volunteer Driver has brought a surprising amount of pleasure and enjoyment into her own life.

“I’ve only just started but it’s like a tonic for my own life, every time I pick someone up it leaves me feeling so great,” says Jo.

“My clients so far have all been quite elderly so it’s really fascinating talking with them about their lives and all the things they’ve done. It’s just really amazing how trusting and friendly and so very grateful they are to have your help.

I just love that I can help get them to where they want to go safely and with a bit of company and conversation too.

Helping the Blind Foundation as a driver makes me feel great, actually… it makes my heart sing!”

The Blind Foundation will join with the rest of New Zealand in celebrating National Volunteer Week fromSunday 21 June to Saturday 27 June. The theme for the week this year is ‘There is a place for you to Volunteer’.

If you would like to learn more about the many rewarding volunteer roles within the Blind Foundation, please visit the Get Involved page at www.blindfoundation.org.nz or call 0800 120 254.

ENDS

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