Mary’s story: “The staff have always been wonderful.”

Mary and her husband spent many years in the Pakuranga area, where they raised their family. Tragically, her husband died in a car accident and Mary moved into HBH in 2023. While she hadn’t intended to move to HBH so soon, she found she needed the extra support once she was on her own.

Fortunately, Mary had worked as a Volunteer Co-ordinator for HBH for over 32 years, so of course it was the first place that came to mind. “HBH was the natural choice as it was very familiar to me,” says Mary. “When my son and I arrived on my first day, there were so many people we knew – both from his school days and from my time working there. It immediately felt like home.”

Mary loves the ‘caring vibes’ and ‘Christian atmosphere’ and puts this down to the values-driven approach that lies at the heart of HBH. “When I first heard about the volunteer co-ordinator role all those years ago, it was through the Pakuranga Baptist church which we attended – and HBH was called the Howick Baptist Home back then.”

Mary says that while HBH has seen many changes since that time, the same kind, caring and compassionate approach remains. “The staff have always been wonderful, and they still are,” she says. “There are so many long-standing staff, which is testament to how special this place is.”

”When I was the Volunteer Co-ordinator, I managed up to 150 volunteers, so it was a big job,” she explains. “Back then, volunteers were very involved in many aspects of the care. I had to turn my hand to many things, including stepping in at the last minute to drive the mini-bus and teaching volunteers how to make ‘hospital beds’.

After so many years of volunteering, it has taken Mary a while to adjust to being a resident. “Sometimes when I hear the call bell go, my immediate reaction is to answer it! 32 years is a long time to build up habits!” she laughs. But for now, Mary is happy to slow down. She enjoys the knitting club and craft activities at HBH and is involved in many other activities. “HBH is a lovely place to live and a very special community.”