Across the country we have generous volunteers giving their time, valuable skills and energy to help us support whānau raising their tamariki.
In June, as part of National Volunteer Week Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu, a celebration was held in Auckland where the Northern region’s volunteers were honoured. Retired nurse, Jeannette Bilik was named the Northern Region Volunteer of the Year.
Jeannette will be a familiar face to many whānau across the North Shore in Auckland. For the past seven years she’s been a trusted Plunket volunteer, visiting families at home to offer a helping hand.
Jeannette is a māmā of three and grandmother to twins herself, so she has been able to share many parenting tips and tricks, like ways to help settle pēpi to sleep. Her valuable skills, knowledge and compassion has seen her supporting many new mums through those tougher times at home with a wee baby.
We are so grateful to have volunteers like Jeannette in communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. Be it by supporting new parents at home, at playgroups, through toy libraries, by lending a hand around the clinic or by supporting fundraising events, our volunteer force is crucial to keep Plunket connected to whānau.
Thank you, Jeannette, and thank you to any current volunteers reading this – you are so loved.