Centre Workers Kāpiti Women's Centre - 2023 Volunteer Story Comp

Long ago and far away, through a caring friend I found a beautiful, affordable temporary home. This helped me leave a relationship that was too painful to stay in. The older woman who owned the studio apartment, gifted back to her local community in this way for decades. She also helped me begin to deepen my appreciation of how women can become attuned to our innate inter-dependence as human beings.

She believed that at all times, there will inevitably be some among us who need assistance to get back to our confident capacity, and that we can better accept our vulnerabilities through taking turns in both giving and receiving. Since then, by offering similar safe space when I could, I verified when we can reciprocate, doing so very often gives back to us even more. It “frees our hearts” as Sharon Salzberg teaches.

Two years ago, I reverse migrated after almost four decades living away from Aotearoa. Knowing well the vulnerability that one feels moving, ‘learning the ropes’ in foreign cultures or new community while missing old friendships, my understandings guided me towards the Kapiti Womens Centre.

In the past year since training to become a regular volunteer centre worker, I have made wonderful new connections. Some voices from my intake volunteer sisters include “I feel a sense of belonging from the opportunity to give back, friendships and a feeling of satisfaction when called upon to support those in need of a listening ear”.

I also now feel closer to flourishing within personal values I had long aspired to, due to the rarified calm, grounding atmosphere of emotional maturity that is intentionally aimed for. This can be felt, even in the midst of quite unpredictable dynamic shifting daily moments, often presenting new challenges and requiring new skills.

The co-operative culture at Kapiti Womens Centre is ever evolving, with a “growth mindset”. It is consistently clear, mutually supportive being well aligned to the organisation’s feminist aims and objectives.

It’s not always easy to be a volunteer centre worker in these exceptionally challenging times, but what often leaves me in awe is the essential experience of gentle feminine care via a culturally diverse cross section of several generations Kapiti Aotearoa women who with mutual respect offer and receive their being, and their love.

A place where all women are welcomed equally, can find their voice to tell their story as much or as little as they choose to, without being interrupted or judged or dictated to.

What makes the volunteer or team of volunteers special? Women giving their most precious resource (time) to our community.