When we think about volunteering, it is often about using our unique strengths to contribute to the community. This profile, though, is about someone who combined new weaknesses with her existing strengths in order to help others.

As a cancer survivor, Lucy Thomson found herself facing a new reality of physical challenges as a result of her treatment. She has now turned living that reality into her super power as a volunteer.

Born and raised in Wanaka, and partially driven by having grown up with friends with Downs Syndrome and Epilepsy, Lucy studied Occupational Therapy and Diversional Therapy, which helps elderly and disabled people engage with meaningful activities.

However, her desire to be a chef sent her down a completely different path starting with training at Otago Polytech and moving on to hard physical and mental work as a chef in Wanaka.

Then cancer struck. As her own body changed over two and a half years of chemotherapy, Lucy increased her innate ability to relate to people with struggles and developed a great empathy for people facing difficulties. 

On the road to recovery, Lucy spends her time with her family, doing physio, walking and playing with her dogs, drawing, colouring, and knitting baby hats for Beanies for Babies and via Middlemore for Auckland hospitals.

Lucy Thomson with her dogs.

When she saw a video on Facebook highlighting M!NT with the kids singing and dancing and their parents talking about what the programme meant to their families, Lucy immediately knew she wanted to become involved. M!NT Charitable Trust is a small group of local families working on a voluntary basis to support kids, youth and young adults with intellectual disabilities in the Upper Clutha Region.

Combining her early training in therapy with her natural creative talents, Lucy began helping with the music group where kids sing both familiar and new songs that they choose, explore different instruments, and learn and laugh together. She quickly realised that the role really fits her. Many people without intellectual and physical challenges strive to be empathetic to people with different needs, but Lucy is now able to truly do so.

M!NT delivers an activity programme, including gym, dance, yoga, kickball, swimming, as well as holiday excursions such as trampolining in Queenstown and trips up the mountain. They also strive for inclusion in community events such as Challenge Wanaka and RUBY Swim. With a wide range of ways for volunteers to participate, Lucy soon broadened her role.

One of her favourite activities is the M!NT Dinner Crew outings where the older M!NT Crew (15 years and up) not only have the chance to socialise but also learn social and life skills by ordering and paying. Lucy shared a particularly proud moment when she saw “one of the group serving water to everyone around the table”.

What does Lucy get out of it? “Mint gives me the opportunity to help enrich the lives of others while enriching my own,” she said.

Seeing a kid you know “engaged and happy in the moment” is an amazing feeling and is accompanied by giving “parents a bit of a break when they know their kids are having a good time in a safe setting where they are accepted for who they are”.

Lucy is also learning herself, whether that be from the initial induction training, or through ongoing coaching from programme manager Charlotte Jackson, to more formal learning opportunities like online courses for understanding intellectual disabilities and, especially fun, the volunteer night out when they share tips and tricks, feedback, and discuss how to handle challenges.  

“It’s such a supportive, flexible, positive environment with really good vibes” where you can pick and choose which activities you contribute to, she said.

On the fence about volunteering yourself? Consider Lucy’s words of advice: “Just give it a go – it’s as simple as that. If it doesn’t suit you or you want to try something else, that’s fine.”

M!NT provides opportunities for those with additional needs to be themselves, interact with each other as well as the community and, importantly, a chance to be independent. 

M!NT has many different volunteer opportunities available, ranging from support people, drivers or graphic design.

At Volunteer South - Central Lakes, we can discuss your skills and goals for volunteering and help make the perfect match. See more roles on the Volunteer page in your Wanaka App.

Volunteer South is a charitable trust that engages and supports both tūao volunteers and volunteers involving organisations and community groups in the Southern region of Aotearoa New Zealand.