Spotlight on a Member - Cancer Society Kāpiti

As you pass under the beautifully carved waharoa and cross the threshold into the reception area, you are sure to receive a very warm welcome from one of the Cancer Society’s wonderful office volunteers - currently surrounded by a host of golden daffodils!

As part of the Cancer Society’s Wellington Division, the Kāpiti Support Centre has been based at 27 Kāpiti Road since 2020. Formerly a child day care centre, the building is ideally positioned as a regional hub, providing a range of services and products to support clients and their whānau as they navigate the complexities that cancer brings.

Tucked in behind the centre, there is a therapeutic garden that offers a quiet space for those who are looking for somewhere to stop and have moment or two surrounded by nature. Green fingered volunteers carefully nurture a variety of natives, herbs, flowers and vegetables to create a stunning environment that can be enjoyed by all who visit the centre.

Whether looking for information on services available, help with transport to appointments, planning and budgeting advice, some respite support or simply a korero over a cuppa with someone who understands what you are facing, staff and volunteers are there help clients with empathy and sensitivity, ensuring that confidentiality underpins all that they do.

The centre is open on Monday to Thursday between 9.30-3.30, and car parking is available directly outside the building.

Daffodil Day is an important event in the Cancer Society’s calendar. This year it is on Friday, 30th August and is sure to be as popular an event as ever. Kāpiti is fortunate to have a number of daffodil growers who carefully nurture their crops to ensure that there are plenty of blooming ‘daffs’ ready for sale on the day.

As always, the Cancer Society is recruiting volunteers to help with this important fundraising event, where all money raised goes to the Kāpiti Support Centre. If you love connecting with people for a great cause and are happy to stand for an hour or so, it’s not too late to apply to become a volunteer. The team would love you to join them!

As well as Daffodil Day Street Collectors and Gardeners, the Cancer Society would be delighted to hear from people with strong communication and interpersonal skills who would like to become Cancer Prevention Advocates, promoting the Cancer Society’s key messages by contributing to live campaigns and engaging with the wider community.

For more information about these exciting volunteering opportunities and how to apply, do take a look at the Volunteer Kāpiti website: https://volunteerkapiti.org.nz/members/1021-cancer-society-wellington-division

Story by Bron Thomas

Picture of Carol, Volunteer Receptionist at the Cancer Society