Good Sorts - Paula Page

When it comes to volunteering in her community, Waimate volunteer, Paula Page (50), has the attitude of, ‘if I can help, I will help’, a view shaped by her grandmother, who always encouraged her to volunteer.

Paula was born in Timaru in 1973. She went to St Joseph’s Primary School Timaru and then Mountainview High School Timaru. Her first job after leaving school was with Greenwood Cleaning Services, where she cleaned offices around Timaru. She then got married and moved to Geraldine and worked as a care worker, until they moved to Waimate, as both her father and grandmother lived in the township.

On moving to Waimate Paula worked at Lister Home for a while until she had her children, who are now grown up and have moved away. As her children started growing up she ended up going back to work, this time at the Waimate Mobile Kindergarten. It was here that she decided it was children she wanted to work with, so studied Early Childhood and got her degree. Paula said at the time money was tight for her family and people in the community were great and always helpful. She said one of the ways they would help was by handing on uniforms that they no longer needed, that her children could use. “At this point I knew I wanted to give back to the community and had the idea of starting up a uniform room.”

Once Paula got her degree she got a job teaching at the Timaru Christian Preschool, where she still works. She said her idea to start a uniform room also came to fruition at this time and was set up at the Connect Church in one of their upstairs rooms, with just 2 racks of uniforms to begin with. “The church and the community loved the idea and got right behind me, helping to make it what it is today.” Due to personal circumstances Paula has had to take a step back from the uniform room this year. She said she is grateful for all the help she has received from ladies within the community who have helped to keep it running.

“I would like to thank Danelle Bain for stepping up and doing most of the leg work this year. Andrea Arthur and Shelley Earnshaw have also been a great help over the years. As well as all the sewers within the community that have fixed uniforms when needed,” she said. The Connect Community Uniform Room is based on donations; you can give a monetary donation for a uniform, swap an old uniform for a new one, donate a uniform or donate your time. “It’s all done by people in the community, for the community. Everything is put back into the uniform room,” said Paula. If you would like to know more about the Connect Community Uniform Room or would like to help in some way you can contact Paula through the Connect Community Uniform Room Facebook page.

Over the years Paula has always given a helping hand where needed but likes to stay behind the scenes. She has been involved in things like Christmas in the Square alongside John and Glenda Begg. Been a leader in 1st Waimate Girls Brigade and a Sunday School teacher, amongst other things. Paula said she learnt the importance of volunteering and giving from her grandmother Kathy Arthur. She said her grandmother had a very strong Christian faith and she always taught her to love God and to love others. “My grandmother always gave sacrificially, never just what she had left over at the end of the week. Because of her, at 15 I started to sponsor children through World Vision. Her legacy is what I want to carry on.”

Paula said she loves the giving nature of the Waimate community, for example her children were given opportunities to do activities that she would never have been able to afford in bigger places. She said people in Waimate are always prepared to give a helping hand. “It’s the, ‘I do for you, you do for me’ attitude people have in the community that makes Waimate a great town to live in.”

By Amelia King

Guest UserNovember 7, 2023