Volunteering
The Volunteer Programme
The IHC Volunteer programme is on the look-out for Volunteers as well as people with intellectual disabilities who are interested in getting involved.
The programme is about one-to-one friendship in the community. It's about doing what you want to do with someone who has shared interests and gaining a new friend in the process. For further information on the Volunteering programme, please click here or if you know of someone with an intellectual disability who may like a Volunteer, please click here.
IHC also has a Skill-Based Volunteer programme that features shorter, focused projects based on goals a person with an intellectual disability wants to achieve. Volunteers work one-to-one with them to develop a specific skill or achieve a specific goal. For further information about the Skill-Based Volunteer programme, please click here.
i-Volunteering
Friendship and connection for
people with intellectual disabilities and family carers – no matter where they
live in New Zealand.
IHC’s Volunteer Programmes matches a person with Intellectual Disability with a Volunteer who enjoys doing the same things. Their shared interest could be baking, playing online video games, or exercising and going for a coffee. Our unique online programme offers the option to be in a friendship without leaving your home. Make a positive change in someone’s life and gain a new friend in the process.
For more information, call Tamsyn on 022 015 7166 or email tamsyn.kendall-bailey@ihc.org.nz.
Volunteer Stories - January 2024
Happy New Year everyone!
Summer has arrived in Wellington, probably a little bit later than most other places, but at least we can put away the winter duvet and woolly jerseys now. The brolly is still by the door though.
Recharging our batteries is important so I hope you've been able to relax and have some time with your friends and family over the break.
As we start the New Year, there will be new requests from people with intellectual disabilities for a friend. We'll be working hard to recruit more volunteers and would be very grateful if you could also promote our volunteer programme within your own organisations and networks. Let's get the word out there
Take care
Sue Kobar
National Manager Volunteering & Community Development
Wellington and Hutt Valley
Daniel and volunteer Masani joined Volunteer Coordinator Amanda (who took the photo) for lunch recently, to celebrate their 13 years of friendship.
Masani (Sani) and Daniel enjoy doing all sorts of cool activities together. One favourite is taking a drive to the south coast of Wellington. Once there they have a spot to park up in and watch the aeroplanes take off and land. They also like watching the surfers navigate the waves in the freezing water, and dogs taking their people for a walk on the sand. They enjoy seeking out treasures in local second hand stores too. In fact, Daniel is a volunteer at the Kilbirnie second hand shop himself.
After lunch together Daniel took Amanda and Sani on a tour of the new Johnsonville library. Amanda says it’s clear he's a regular there as everyone said hi and asked him how he was doing. We visited the 3-D printing room where a young guitarist shared some of his skills.
Our conversation ranged from the motherboards of computers, to what young people do on their phones on the bus instead of doing homework, to Athfield Architects who have designed many public libraries including the Johnsonville library where we were.
We had a wonderful time and it is very clear that the friendship between Sani and Daniel is very special to each of them.
Invercargill
This is Drew and Darren (volunteer on the right), one of Invercargill’s newest friendships.
They're looking forward to a host of fun activities over summer. They have a lot in common, both enjoying the pool, fishing, walking, movies and, on cold days, going to the cinema. The pair are also looking forward to taking their dogs for a walk and getting in some ten-pin bowling.
2024 is shaping up to be full of exciting times for these lads.
Waikato
Fred (volunteer on the left) and Laurence were delighted to be the regional winners of the photograph competition and to feature in the 2024 IHC Friendship Programme calendar.
As winners of the photo comp, they were shouted out for afternoon tea, which they enjoyed at a local café. They decided to forgo food and only have a drink because they wanted to celebrate with Laurence’s house mates and all have cake together.
Laurence was very proud to show off his calendar, especially the month of September with its picture of a couple of cool dudes enjoying a visit to the zoo.