Cassie

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background

I grew up on Waiheke but have lived in Wellington for the last five years. I studied graphic design at Massey University and at the moment I’m working at Mahuki in Te Papa.

What volunteer opportunities have you been involved in or are you currently involved in?

I’m a volunteer for the Wellington SPCA and have recently become involved with Regenerate Magazine - through Collaborate! Regenerate is a magazine produced by the community in Wellington and sold by people affected by poverty. It’s a similar model to The Big Issue magazine in the UK. They were looking for some graphic design work through Collaborate, I saw the listing and wanted to get involved.

Why do you volunteer?

It’s really rewarding doing work because you want to and not because you have to. And when it’s for a cause you really believe in and support, it’s awesome to be part of the team that helps them succeed.

Who is your biggest hero or inspiration?

I don’t have a hero but I think being dragged along to volunteer at tree plantings and other events by my parents when I was younger is part of the reason I like volunteering now (even if I might not have appreciated it at the time).

What do you love about Collaborate?

I love how centralised Collaborate is. It puts opportunities from all kinds of different organisations in one place so you don’t have to go through organisations’ websites. Also the speed! I expressed an interest in the Regenerate opportunity and within 5 minutes I had a response. Two days later I was on the team.