Volunteers are the selfless group of people that donate their time and skills to help us in so many ways. Some work directly with Guests through roles like conducting home/face-to-face visits and life coaching, others lend their talents through art therapy, baking and offering caring services to Guests. A third selection of volunteers help us with site maintenance through services such as gardening, construction and cleaning. Each in our own way, we all contribute to making the Retreat the beautiful place that it is, and make sure that our Guests are treated like the bee's knees.
A spotlight on a few members of the team,
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Liz
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Belinda
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Lis
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Meet a few more of our awesome volunteers.
Tūtaki ki ētahi atu o ā mātou tino kaitūao.
"The Taranaki Retreat is the truest, most powerful manifestation of a community’s love I’ve ever seen.It doesn’t stop with what I’ve described – there’s a whole flock of people constantly giving their time to help others."
The Retreat is a community - living and breathing. On site, throughout the year, we are privileged to host "Workaway" travellers/students. These wonderful people are a bit like woofers - travelling through Aotearoa and bringing their energy and story of their homeland with them. During their stay, they are resident with us on site, and assist with keeping the place looking beautiful and tending to such tasks as care of the Retreat pets - and helping with the preparation/serving /clearup of our shared kai. We have hosted Workaways from places such as India, Germany, Poland, Australia, France and Japan. We love their presence and the way that they draw our focus to the big wide world.
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Annika and Nils
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Joel
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...what can we say, except: THANK YOU!!
Spending two weeks with Suzy, Katy, Roxy and Jamie has been a true blessing to us and we enjoyed every single moment of our stay here! We are so grateful for everything they offered us: the cosy caravan, the wonderful, delicious food every night, the warm welcome to their home, some awesome movie & gamenights, and their absolutely beautiful company! We've enjoyed our stay so much and have learned a lot at the Retreat, especially about the power of generosity! |
Two short weeks at the retreat (cake paradise) and I wish I could have stayed longer.
Synopsis of my two weeks: Beautiful picturesque location, peaceful chapel for yoga/meditation, comfortable caravan and living arrangement, fabulous food - everyday is a feast, awesome pets on property showering you with unconditional love, amazing book collection, work suited to your capability and skill level, fun filled evenings with either a movie or table football or dance mats or board games surrounded by just the best people really, even washing up after 'tea' is fun! |
Wow! My time with Suzy, Jamie, Katy, Roxy and Danii was so incredible and I felt right at home as soon as I set foot in the door & until the end of my stay!
Suzy's is so caring, kind hearted and I will really miss her delicious chocolate pudding and hearty home cooked meals. Jamie's warm, caring and welcoming energy was always so pleasant to be around, he is so thoughtful and will go out of his way to make you feel comfortable and happy! I've enjoyed and learnt so much, met some wonderful people and gained so many skills and knowledge. I will miss the dogs, goats, chickens, ducks, piglets, the relaxing atmosphere and even washing the dishes and digging holes! You have created an amazing retreat full of love and it is truly inspiring. You will all be in my heart forever and I can't wait to see you all again soon! :) |
This has been the most inspiring amazing volunteering experience I have had so far. Suzy, Jamie, Katy and Roxy are such a wonderful, loving caring family and make you feel welcome as soon as you arrive. They live in a beautiful part of the country, the food is exquisite and I have enjoyed the numerous board and card evening games together.
It has been a real privilege to be able to volunteer for them, the Retreat is not your ordinary retreat, so I would encourage anyone wanting to stay there to check out their website beforehand, it is important that you understand what they are trying to offer to people who need it. I wish them the best and have made friends for life. |
This was my first workaway experience and I could not have hoped for anything better! Suzy and Jamie are extraordinary people with beautiful hearts and have created something really special. The retreat is surrounded by nature and very quiet and peaceful. As a workawayer you are given your own caravan, plus three meals a day (one of which - the evening meal - is cooked by Suzy and eaten together with all the guests). The work was pretty straightforward and for us mainly involved odd jobs around the garden, and helping out with the animals. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with the guests and family, and hear their stories, and joining in activities with them. As a workawayer you are truly contributing to a wonderful cause. The site is always full of people yet manages to remain very peaceful - the number of locals who donate time, skills and cooked/baked foods is inspiring!
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It was a fantastic experience to join the Retreat Family! This great project is run by absolutely extraordinary people on a beautiful piece of land between Mt Taranaki (always keeping an eye on the Retreat) and the breathtaking coast. Thank you so, so, so much for having me and for making me feel like a part of the family, for the dinners, for the laughs. Thank you!
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