2018 Volunteer Expo
Later this month, the Career Development team is hosting a Volunteer Expo in Te Puna 0n 29 August 2018.
Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and for our students to get valuable work experience on their CV before leaving Unitec, plus new skills and networking opportunities!
All staff are welcome to come along and explore if volunteering is something they’d like to get involved in.
Offering your time as a volunteer can help create new networks, experience a different area of business and be inspired by others. Many of our staff volunteer so we’re sharing a couple of their stories on the Nest, starting last week with Andrea Thumath – Bringing who we are into the workplace. and this week Felicity Bowden tells us her story.
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Find out more about volunteering!
If you’d like to find out more about volunteering, come along to the Volunteer Expo on 29 August 2018.
Bring your students along!
Please encourage your students to come along or talk with Deborah Crossan or Dianna Bluck to find out more. |
Staff who volunteer: Felicity Bowden says helping match people with the right pet at the SPCA and finding an animal a new home is really rewarding and the reason she volunteers
Felicity is a Technician for the Health and Community Services Network and spends most of her time with the Environmental and Animal Services Network, managing the small animal unit.
 SPCA volunteer – Felicity Bowden She makes sure the animals are well looked after, the students enjoy their experience and staff are supported with any requirements or information they need.
What does your role at the SPCA involve?
I’m at their Mangere branch, usually in the cattery, but I have also worked in the doggery, puppy quarantine, rabbitry, cat holding (assessment area after arrival at the SPCA) and the animal recovery centre.
I go along once a month on a Saturday afternoon, which starts with a pre-work meeting, then a handover with the morning staff. The afternoon continues with a check of all the cages to make sure there is fresh water, and the litter trays and food bowls are clean, as well as the toys and carry cages. Then it’s time with members of the public who come in to hopefully adopt a cat or kitten. I help them with their questions and also check their suitability to adopt an animal and to help them understand the requirements of owning a new pet, or matching another pet with their existing animal or animals.
It’s very exciting when we find a match and we go ahead with an adoption. Once the paperwork is done I put their new pet into a carry cage or box to head off to their new ‘forever home’♥.
When there’s spare time we groom and encouraging timid animals to make friends, which is an important part of the process. .
Balancing work and volunteering…
It is not difficult as I volunteer on a monthly roster basis and some public holidays – I never feel that this is a difficult choice.
What inspired you to volunteer?
I have always been a great lover of animals and after visiting the SPCA with a friend one weekend, I found out that they were short of volunteers so I immediately signed up and that was about January 1991.
It’s such a rewarding job when you get a cat or kitten adopted by a special person or family. As the animals cannot speak for themselves I feel I am helping them to find a loving home. People can be so cruel with animals of all types and I really wanted to help them in some way and the SPCA gave me that opportunity.
What’s the key thing you get out of volunteering?
The joy of helping the animals and making sure I do a good job for them. There is something very satisfying about seeing a cat or kitten go to someone who you know will love and look after them as much as you would.
If there are any timid animals in the Cattery then paying them as much attention as possible and helping them overcome their obvious fear is very satisfying as it will help them get a home.
Animals could teach humans a lot about life I feel – if only they could talk!
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