By Chelsea Boyle
A Masterton woman has nothing but praise for the Wairarapa Resource Centre for turning her life around.
Sylvia Buckley has osteoarthritis which can make working a traditional 9 to 5 job almost impossible.
“I can sit at a computer for about an hour and then my whole arm will go numb,” she said.
Ms Buckley was pointed in the right direction when her friends Natalie and Terry Hobbs suggested she volunteer at the Wairarapa Resource Centre.
“The day I started volunteering was the day my life changed for the better and there is no way I would go back to nothing,” Ms Buckley said.
Working at the centre has given her flexible hours that allow her to take breaks when she starts to get sore.
“I work at a pace my body can handle and there is always somebody around to assist me,” she said.
She credits shop manager Trudie Jones for giving her a great deal of practical advice.
“She has a wealth of knowledge and has an amazing practical way of helping everyone,” Ms Buckley said.
Mrs Jones said the store had always created a safe and happy environment so that people could enjoy their shifts regardless of their strengths.
“We don’t discriminate against anyone,” she said.
“Everyone deserves a chance.”
The staff at the centre were incredibly diverse and they were all trained up to move on to paid employment if they wished, she said.
Ms Buckley said working in the store had improved her self-esteem and given her more independence.
