Whakaahura singers
This week we were entertained and informed by four members of Whakaahura, Their mission is to ease the suffering of those at the end of life, or perhaps those with dementia or other illnesses.
They do this by singing to them around the bedside, choosing soothing material from a variety of sources. Their singing is a gift, not a performance.
Whakaahura means to warm, or to cherish. It is a voluntary organisation with about 30 members in Wellington, of whom 20 sing regularly. They sing in homes, retirement homes, and hospices, usually in groups of four to six.
It is helpful to the dying, and to families and care staff. Each ‘sing’ is planned around the needs and preferences of the patient. Apparently, hearing is the last sense to close down at the point of death.
The four singers, Sue, Ian, Jiko, and Angela, gave us a selection of their songs as they went along, much appreciated by the club.
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 ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.9% Summer
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36.6% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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