Good Sorts - Toni deRooy

Enjoying life: Lou is a puppy that Toni deRooy is jointly fostering. She is one of a litter of 10 puppies surrendered to Pound Paws. All 10 puppies will be available for adoption through Pound Paws Rescue.  Photo by Georgia Hendrie

Volunteering has been an integral part of Toni deRooy’s (71) life and she believes we can all make a difference, but it’s how we choose to make that difference that counts.

deRooy was born in Christchurch Hospital in 1951 and was raised in Lyttleton.

She attended Lyttleton Main Primary School, Woolston School and went to Linwood High School.

After high school she travelled for a few years around New Zealand in a caravan, where she got to experience  rural New Zealand.

She then decided to get more education by choosing to get an Early Childhood  Certificate.

However, she decided that Early Childhood wasn’t for her, so she went into a nursing career and has been a nurse off and on for 30 years.

deRooy lived in South Auckland and worked as a school nurse, which gave her an insight into what was happening at the time with New Zealand youth and then in the late 80’s and 90’s she fostered teenagers and young children.

She also worked at a rest home in the 90’s and raised her children, Julia, Marie and Daniel who tragically died in an accident.

Then in 2000 the family moved to Rarotonga and in 2003 she moved to China and Asia to teach before moving back to New Zealand.

While in China as well as being a paid teacher, deRooy also volunteered at a state school teaching, and while in Asia she volunteered at orphanages, where unwanted babies were dumped.

deRooy’s last job was in Christchurch supporting people who were serving out a prison sentence through community detention.

In 2010 while she was recovering from a head injury, she decided to move to Waimate.    

deRooy said she has also tried her hand at other jobs, such as managing a night club in Auckland for about 5 years and supporting people into education who had intellectual disabilities in Australia.

“A lot of my jobs ended up being childcare and healthcare focused, as I believed there was a need for it, especially in New Zealand,” she said.

Volunteering started for deRooy in 1968 with the Red Cross (whom she is still with today), doing hospital visits.

At the same time, she became interested in the environment and volunteered doing beach renourishment.

derooy said that when she moved to South Auckland she saw a need to educate people around Animal Welfare and the desexing of animals.

She said also in South Auckland (later in Christchurch as well), she became involved with the LGBTQ community supporting people in their journey.

“In those early days I was just becoming aware economically, politically, environmentally, culturally and socially, of what was happening in New Zealand.”

She has volunteered at the Christchurch City Mission, with the homeless and has also been involved in Children and Womens’ issues, lobbying MPs, and doing a lot of pioneer work with Wahine and Tamariki being acknowledged, respected and having their needs met.

deRooy said in her later working life she started to become more focused on the environment and Animal Welfare.

She said she did a lot of hands-on volunteer work tramping around, doing plantings, beach and river clean-ups, and working in different animal rescues, as well as protesting.

“I have protested over the export of live animals and about the loss of wetlands, among other things,” she said.

After moving to Waimate and recuperating from her head injury deRooy started volunteering at the Red Cross store, selling pre-loved clothing and is at present the committee’s secretary.

For eight years she has volunteered for Pound Paws, fostering puppies.

Loving the autumn leaves: Lenni, is a puppy that Toni deRooy is jointly fostering. She is one of a litter of 10 puppies surrendered to Pound Paws. All 10 puppies will be available for adoption through Pound Paws Rescue.  – Photo by Georgia Hendrie

In the past  she has volunteered with Waimate Street Cat group fostering kittens, on the Waimate Regent Theatre Trust and.in the Waimate Harvest group, mainly giving practical cooking lessons.

She has also volunteered for the Waimate Community Garden and before the Community Garden came into being she was involved in teaching people how to garden, especially young families.

deRooy said during her time in Waimate she has continued to participate in beach and river clean ups and replantings around the district, as well as her protesting over the environment and animal welfare.

She said the latest protest she was involved in, was in April this year and was against the live export of animals.

“I also do a lot of submissions to the Government to share concerns about policies and to get certain laws changed as well,[ i.e,] getting the Animal Welfare Act improved,” she said.

deRooy finds volunteering rewarding, especially being able to see the process of change, in people, the environment and animal wefare.

She said it is the self-worth and satisfaction that you are making a difference in the world that keeps her volunteering.

“I do believe we all have an obligation to give of ourselves to our fellow humans and take care of the planet and those that share it with us, like all the animals,” she said.

By Amelia King