Thirty years is a long time. It is a lot of volunteering. It is a lot of corporate support. It is a lot of community. It is a lot of candles to fit on a birthday cake. And it all adds up to a lot of aroha.

As we celebrate our 30th year, we thank everyone who has given a part of themselves to Arohanui Hospice. The giving has been extraordinary. More than 8000 amazing volunteers, including Hospice Board members, have provided time and expertise. Corporate sponsors, who largely assist us through supplies and services, also support via regular financial contributions and event sponsorship. The 200,000 people that nestle in the Arohanui Hospice region generously donate in a multitude of ways. They enable us to support anyone with any lifelimiting condition, free of charge.

And, of course, there is our Hospice staff. They put so much dedication and aroha into their work caring for patients, families and whanau. It is most appropriate that 30 years on from the opening of Arohanui Hospice, we have adopted the phrase, ‘aroha mai, aroha atu (love received, love returned).’

We certainly wouldn’t have reached this milestone without the generosity and goodwill of our community.

Aroha mai, aroha atu.

Written by Lorraine Vincent, this article first appeared in the Manawatu Standard during Hospice Awareness Week 2021. Read this 16-page special here