We all need friends: IHC calling for volunteer mates
Kia ora neighbours,
Popping out for coffee. Baking chocolate muffins. Dancing to the Moana soundtrack. The small ways we make memories with our friends stay with us forever.
That’s how Ella Hinton, 24, and Tegan Gilbert, 25, spend their time together. Between their selfies, sing-alongs and sweet treats, time flies by until the next week when they hang out again.
Hinton and Gilbert, both of Papakura, have been friends for nearly two years.
They met in an unconventional sort of way, matched to hang out by IHC, New Zealand’s main service provider for people with intellectual disabilities.
Volunteer Co-ordinator Brigit Bowron said there are around five or six other people IHC works with in Counties Manukau with whom she would love to match a volunteer.
“By becoming a volunteer you would be making a positive change in someone’s life and making a new friend in the process,” she said.
If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Volunteer Coordinator Brigit Bowron on brigit.bowron@ihc.org.nz.
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️