WHS Students give back on a day off school

On Friday 31st May, 21 Wakatipu High School students chose to spend their day off from school volunteering in the community. Teacher Only Day volunteering was an idea originated by Keri Barnett of Dunstan High School, and has been supported by Volunteer South across the region over the last 3 years, giving young people the chance to connect with various causes and explore the many ways that they can meaningfully engage with their community.

Wakatipu High School Deputy Principal Lee Hiestand and Community and Service Council Co-lead Daphne Ricketts were key collaborators with Volunteer South this time around, and their promotion of the volunteering opportunities to the student body resulted in an overwhelming response, with all the volunteering roles being filled within a matter of days!

Students were hosted by organisations that supported diverse causes, such as Food Security (KiwiHarvest), Social Support (Happiness House), Health and Wellbeing (Wakatipu Plunket), Arts & Culture (Te Atamira) and Community Education (QLDC Libraries). Collectively, they volunteered 56 hours, or 7 working days worth of time, which is a significant impact for these community organisations who rely on volunteers.

Volunteering for her 3rd Teacher Only Day at Plunket, Year 13 Mikaeala Patterson said she “really enjoys doing something different, and interacting with the kids is really fun.” Jessica Hodge and Caitlyn Bibby made quick work of organising the Produce Day ‘Shop’ at Happiness House and were happily reorganising the op-shop. “I haven’t been to Happiness House since I was 7!”, said Jessica. Caitlyn said, “I learnt more about what Happiness House offers to the community.”

First time hosts, Te Atamira hosted 8 volunteers over 2 shifts, most of whom had either never been to the facility or didn’t know about the host of activities that happened there. Zara Martin said the highlight of her volunteer experience was, “Visiting a place where all ages are welcome.” Mason Clarke said, “It’s an extra long weekend, why not spend one day giving back?”

Feedback from the organisations was extremely positive. Amy O’Reilly of Queenstown Library said, “Annabelle (Bartlett) was an absolute joy and left a lovely impression on the team.”. Katie Boles de Boer, Operations Manager at Te Atamira commented that “The students were lovely and very diligent. They were happy to complete any tasks and were always upbeat.”

Volunteer South is proud to support rangatahi volunteers. This would not be possible without the support provided by their families and the school, as well as the organisations who hosted them, giving them the opportunity to learn about the diversity of support that strengthens our community, and consider what causes are important to them as volunteers. For anyone looking to explore their interests or gain skills and experience via volunteering, we are happy to help. Please contact neha@volunteersouth.org.nz to discuss roles in the community.