Desperately looking for Gardening Volunteers

smitlen, Jun 14, 3:04am
Our garden needs weeding, trimming and tidy-up. Looking for Youth Groups or PD groups to help out. We are a Pensioner's Day Care Centre in central Auckland and we need your help. Looking for 6 to 10 honest and hard working people. We'll provide a delicious, hearty meal for half a days' work.

howgoodisit, Jun 14, 3:22am
Should you not have a maintenance allowance in your budget?

goodbooks, Jun 14, 5:21am
Hope you find some people to help. try your local Green Dollar and/or Timebank organisations too.

smitlen, Jun 14, 7:17pm
Our funds are very limited but I'm hoping for changes July/August. Meantime, I'm looking for volunteers.
Thank you for the suggestion on other organisations for help.

kizzer27, Jun 14, 7:46pm
I would if I was not at the other end of the country,hope you find some people,try advertising on local pif groups on facebook.

maclad, Jun 14, 8:02pm
Do Rotary do this type of thing

smitlen, Jun 14, 9:20pm
Thank you for responding kizzer27, even if you can't make it. It's still good to know.
I'll check out the Rotary and see what can happen there, thank you maclad.

kateley, Jun 14, 9:39pm
I'm not in Auck so can't help - but when I was doing my horticultural training at Polytech we would sometimes do this sort of thing as a learning opportunity (especially if rose pruning or the like needs doing).
Is there anywhere near you that does hort. training? Some high schools also have hort classes.
Another suggestion is get your pensioners to do it as an activity, unless they are disabled then being a pensioner is no barrier to gardening.

smitlen, Jun 14, 10:04pm
Thank you kateley - good suggestion, will check it out.

willemakeit, Jun 15, 1:21am
You could ask if the PD workers could do it for you. They often do a very good job.

maclad, Jun 15, 1:24am
I think that PD workers are not allowed into these type of places Community service may be very different though.

smitlen, Jun 15, 4:21am
I've checked the PD workers already. You're right willemakeit, they tell me that. They can do the job Saturday mornings. Only problem is - can't seem to get someone to supervise the crew, yet. I've got to keep knocking. I've been knocking for over a month. Mean time, the weeds keep growing.

jane310567, Jun 15, 4:31am
I know our local high schools do community days - ring some public boys schools.

smitlen, Jun 15, 5:28am
Thank you jane310567 - another to the list of Monday's jobs. Goodnight.

budgel, Jun 15, 3:53pm
I'm a superannuitant, we are not all feeble, get some of the old buggers off their fat arses and get them to do it!

Best of luck!

annies3, Jun 15, 5:41pm
Unfortunately for the elderly who attend this day care centre it is most probably too much for them to do, otherwise why are they needing to attend such a place ?

budgel, Jun 16, 2:15am
Fair enough, I was thinking it was more of a gathering place for not so old farts like me!

budgel, Jun 16, 2:16am
Fair enough, I was thinking it was more of a gathering place for not so old farts like me! Apologies, no offence intended.

smitlen, Jun 16, 4:35am
Over 70% of our members are over 80 years old. They are hardly here to do weeding. They're more into jazzercise, playing card games, crafts, meeting their friends, chatting/discussions, lunch together, community programmes etc, etc. They are all pensioners, glad to be out of the house, couple days a week. They do their own weeding at home.
Any more bright ideas?

bluefrog2, Jun 16, 6:10pm
Ignore the idiots, they're all talk and no action!
I think helping to tidy up a garden in exchange for a meal is a great idea. It would be something I bring my kids to, to help out as well and build community spirit. In Dunedin, I'd contact Volunteering Otago as well to see if they can post a notice. Do you have something like that where you are?
EDIT: Another option may be to send a notice out the families of all the pensioners who use your service. Invite the families, kids included to a garden cleanup and lunch. That way, the families can also see where gran and grandpa meet their friends. If food might be a problem, ask each family to bring a plate.

mkbooks, Jun 16, 8:59pm
Try contacting Student Job Search at Uni's; they might put a notice up in Students Centre for you

thea4, Jun 17, 1:10am
Hi try M I T and put a message on asksharegive Good luck

smitlen, Dec 14, 5:07am
Thank you bluefrog2, mkbooks and thea4. I appreciate your inputs and suggestions. I'll look into it this week and see what happens. Goodnight