Glendon Hughes, 21, shows off some of the donations to help raise money for Starship Hospital. PHOTO/EMILY NORMAN
EMILY NORMAN
When it comes to doing good, the Wairarapa Resource Centre has that concept perfected three-fold.
Now in its fifth year, the centre offers work experience to members of the Wairarapa community, helps reduce landfill, and continues to embark on projects to assist other important causes.
At the moment, two projects are underway which involve donating to health camps around New Zealand, and helping to fundraise for Starship Hospital.
Manager Trudie Jones talked through the most popular initiative which was now in its third round of donations.
“Any toiletry that is new, we’re sending them to all the health camps over New Zealand so that when the kids arrive there they have these necessities.”
She said the idea was spawned when the resource centre continued to receive an abundance of unused toiletry items like toothbrushes, soaps, and shampoos, so she arranged with Otaki Health Camp to donate the items to them.
“We’ve just been getting so many and we didn’t know what to do with them.
“So, I rang Otaki and they were so grateful.
“The kids all sent us back a letter with a picture thanking us.
“We just continued it from here and it’s got bigger and bigger.”
The second initiative the centre is on board with involves collecting old mobile phones for the Starship Mobile Phone Recycling Appeal.
“Anybody with an old cell phone regardless of what condition it is in, we take it and send it off to Starship.
“Starship take a little piece of the compound out which is sold and the money goes directly back into funding Starship Hospital.”
Wairarapa Resource centre volunteer Glendon Hughes, 21, was particularly interested in this project, as he loved tinkering in the technical block during his shifts.
“Glendon came from the Wairarapa College special unit,” Trudie said.
“When he left school we gave him two shifts a week to work up his work experience and he has just thrived from there.
“He works in the book department and the e-recycle.
“It’s good for him and it’s good for the shop because we get a good worker out of him.”
It is hoped Glendon will be one of 66 other people who have all volunteered the Wairarapa Resource Centre and have gone on into paid employment.
To help with either of the two ongoing projects, visit the Wairarapa Resource Centre on King St, Masterton.
