It’s officially Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu / National Volunteer week (Sunday 19th June – Saturday 25th June 2022) which honours the collective energies and mana of all our volunteers in Aotearoa. This year’s theme is ‘Time to Shine / He wā pīataata.’ It’s a time to recognise and celebrate volunteers, a time to shine / pīataata. It’s Matariki, a new year and a fresh start; a time to dream / moemoeā and make plans for the future.
Volunteer Week has always been a celebration close to our hearts. Since Trade Aid’s inception, tens of thousands of volunteers have generously contributed their time and energy to Trade Aid. Their mahi helps to support our organisation’s work with talented producers around the world.
As we reflect on the last few years as an organisation grappling with the effects of a global pandemic, there is no doubt that the support from our valued volunteers has helped us, and our partners get through these challenging times. Our CEO, Geoff White explains; “Operating a business through these times has been tough, and for Trade Aid that difficulty has been compounded by the responsibility we have towards our trading partners around the world. The effect on our partners has been immense and, with little to no government support, they have had to keep their businesses going as well as offer additional support to their producers, even as they have had to deal with dramatically reduced orders. Our success through this period is because of selfless acts of generosity in people giving their time and energy to this cause – people like our admirable volunteers.”
Our volunteers hold an indispensable place within the fabric of our Trade Aid community. This Volunteer Week we’re shining the light on our big-hearted volunteers. You can hear their thoughts on volunteering at Trade Aid by checking out our social media throughout the week.
