Fortunately, Teresa Moore, Chief Executive of United Way New Zealand, got in touch with manager Jacqs Wilton to see if there were any tasks that needed doing.
The centre had donated tables that had been lying around for a few months, waiting for someone to carry them down to our classes and put them together, so wondered if a few brave volunteers could take this task on!
Teresa thought this a perfect activity for the bunch of interns working at Deloitte in Wellington who were keen to do some charitable work for a day.
The Deloitte’s volunteers turned up, ready to do whatever they could to help our non-profit charitable trust for a day. Tables were carted to ELP’s teaching venue and put together by one team, ready for classes to jump back into action in early 2021.
Another team put more than 80 Shoebox Christmas parcels together, in age-appropriate stacks, and finished them off with wrapping and decorations. Deloitte even provided some tools and wrapping paper, as well as lunch for the team at English Language Partners Porirua.
What a great win-win! Deloitte’s interns got to do something different to their normal mahi and to give back to the community. All the while developing new teamwork skills and learning a little about the work of English Language Partners.
Our Porirua centre got tasks completed that they just never find time to do, and were also able to provide Shoebox Christmas presents to all the children of adult learners.
Christmas box presents were kindly supplied by United Way NZ, APEC NZ, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, NZ Infrastructure Commission, Deloitte Wellington and AIA.
Thanks so much to United Way New Zealand for offering us the chance to have some Corporate Volunteers for a day, and to the team at Deloitte in Wellington for their enthusiasm and help. We certainly enjoyed having you here for the day and no longer look at a bunch of table pieces wondering how we are ever going to get them moved and built!
It’s hard to make a new life in New Zealand if you can’t speak the language. You can help newcomers learn English so they can help themselves and their families make a fresh start here. Find out how you can help here!
