Horowhenua Chronicle: Volunteer Awareness Week
We all get enjoyment from giving to others and last week I was doing my bit to support volunteer awareness week. On Monday morning I did meals on wheels around Levin for many people who struggle to cook for themselves because of health problems. Volunteers do a fantastic job of delivering lunch meals to those most in need. The recipients are so pleased to have this fantastic service in our community and often it’s more than the warm food – it’s the knock on the door to see if they are ok and the quick chat.
Horowhenua has many community organisations that are run by volunteers who do a great job. Volunteers are in short supply and often do so much behind-the-scenes work in our community. There are so many that I am not going to attempt to name all the organisations and people involved but I want to say a big thank you for your efforts in making our community a better place for us all.
This weekend I went to meet the newly formed Horowhenua Kapiti Kidney Support Group to hear of their issues, including the government not recognising renal disease when applying for a sickness benefit. These people have come together to provide support for one another and share ideas like so many of our successful organisations in Horowhenua.
MavTech Theatre supporters put on a fine show in Foxton on Saturday night. It was pretty much the launch of the rejuvenated Coronation Hall where invited guests were treated to some old movies and TV clips. This group of active volunteers has battled hard to secure Council money for an upgrade and put many personal hours into this project. It will now complement the many iconic attractions that Foxton has to offer.
Under Leader John Key, National has already launched much of its policy on the way a National Government will fund community and voluntary groups and the way the tax system will treat volunteers. John Key has talked about the need to ‘turbo charge’ community groups that are making a difference. One of the biggest issues is the time that form filling takes to try and attract funding to just run a voluntary or community organisation.
National will:
• Cut down on bureaucracy and compliance costs so that vital services can be delivered more efficiently
• Make tax-free reimbursements to volunteers for actual reasonable expenditure
• Ensure honoraria up to $500 will be, per person, tax free as a way of expressing appreciation for time and expertise
• Make sure programmes run on its behalf by community organisations are fully funded and do not need to be topped up with additional fundraising or donations.
I am proud to be part of our community and think we have a wonderful voluntary sector. Thank you