We Care

I am still learning, but also doing, and even being the only person in the office for a brief time - the building is still standing and those that came in were wonderfully understanding - hopefully see more of you soon.

Being the newbie on the block I am still able to ask the questions that everyone knows, make some (minor) mistakes and have the team both correct me and have a giggle, and start to see where things can be tweaked - it's all about the tweak, no wheels need to be reinvented and "it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

At our staff planning time this week I asked what at first glance seemed like a very naive question, "WHY do we do what we do? WHY does Age Concern Horowhenua exist?" After a discussion around WHAT we do we all coalesced around the simple answer, "Because we care."

It might seem obvious but it's good to get it out in the open eh.

The team, both staff and our amazing volunteers) here care so much about what we are doing, for our elder community at all parts of the region. Sometimes the doing can seem the be-all-and-end-all but it's wonderful to hear that underlying everything we do, all the services we provide, the ad-hoc assistance we provide, the information, the events, and the referrals we give it's because each and everyone of us care.

(let's be honest, it's certainly it can't just for the money, that's as tight as a gnat's ch**f)

I have seen in so many small and big ways how the team exhibit their care over the past week, the conversations that were kindly held, the willingness to go that extra mile and hop in the car to give a lift, the careful explaining of technology, all of this makes a massive difference in a persons life but also ripples out.

We also care that you care, we can't do what we do without the whole community caring, for each other and for those in need.

So, I leave you with our 5 W's:

• WHY: We care. To increase our community's 'power', resilience, and resources)
• WHAT: Focussing on safety, connections, and resources we allow the community to grow
• WHO: Us + YOU
• WHEN: All the time (office hours 9am-3pm :)
• WHERE: Wherever the need is in the Horowhenua (incl. Otaki for Elder Abuse Response Service)
  (currently Levin, but this week we're now in Shannon, and watch out Foxton here we come)
• HOW: Providing all of our services in a professional, timely, and appropriate manner

(should be called the 5 W's + 1 H)

Before I leave you all to have a wonderful long weekend, here's how we already group everything we do - more in the next post.