Volunteering is in the blood for husband-and-wife duo Keith and Faith Martin, who have both always looked to help their community.

Faith joined hospice as a volunteer in 2013 and Keith followed a couple of months later. When asked what the biggest highlight has been for each of them, they beam reflecting on their experiences. You can feel the joy they get from being here in our Lombard Street shop. Keith’s response is immediate – ‘Oh it has to be being able to offer my skills as an electrician’ followed by, ‘and it was helpful I had my truck license’.

Faith takes a minute to respond, clearly reflecting on the experiences she has had over the last 7 years. “There was this older gentleman who came through looking for some trousers for his granddaughter’s wedding. He was a bit hopeless at shopping, but I could tell he was so appreciative of my help. Together we found him the right size, and I hemmed them for him, so they were perfect for the big day. Oh, and of course the Sew On group” she adds, referring to the sewing upcycling group she started. When asked why they would encourage others to volunteer with hospice, they both agree – ‘certainly for the social aspect, we’ve both made great friends here.’ Keith goes on, “What we do is helping people in need and it is so true that every dollar makes a difference.

The hospice is really special to us – our friends went through hospice and it has a true community around it which is just something else. We could volunteer with lots of other charities, and there’s no one better than another but for us, Arohanui Hospice is the pick of the bunch.”