Helen Crick has been a regular Cancer Society volunteer for more than a decade but in the past 18 months she has discovered a role that, for her, is a perfect fit.
Helen and her family moved to Christchurch from Staffordshire in England in 2010. One of the first people she met socially was woman called Amanda who just happened to work for the Cancer Society.
“It was during a conversation with Mandy that she asked if I’d ever thought about volunteering and would I fancy giving it a go?”
Seeing it as a way of getting to know people in her new home, Helen rolled up her sleeves to help. This was at a time in post-quake Christchurch 2011 when support was much needed.
In the years following, Helen got involved in a myriad of different ways with the Daffodil Day Appeal. This included making the phone calls to take orders from businesses and personal supporters, the delivering and collection of the counter boxes and street collections on the day too.
Early in 2023 Helen received a Stage 3 diagnoses for metastatic melanoma and was undergoing immunotherapy treatment.
An email was sent out to all Cancer Society volunteers in late 2023 with a list of volunteer roles that were available. As Helen's volunteering had been focused entirely on the Daffodil Day Appeal she thought it would be a good time to get involved with something different.
“I was extremely aware of how fortunate I was not to have had hair loss during my treatment, and so reading through the list and seeing there was a role to help coordinate the wig library, it really spoke to me the most.”
The interview was arranged and Helen was paired up with another volunteer, Hayley, and they formed the dynamic duo who now look after the updating of the Cancer Society Southern's Wig Library.
Helen says the pair complement each other well with their skillsets.
"Hayley is particularly good on the IT side of the library and she maintains that side of the catalogue - editing the catalogue as wigs are removed and uploading all the new photographs."
Each wig has four 'head shots' taken on the mannequin (which has been christened Heidi to keep the H team theme going).
"I'm responsible for taking the donated and returned wigs home for a good wash and prep before their photoshoot," says Helen.
“We work really well together. I enjoy it because it’s ours - we’re our own little team and it feels incredibly special.”
The pair spend one afternoon per month in the Wig Library room at the Canterbury Cancer Centre sorting through the newly donated or returned wigs, and photographing the newly washed and prepared additions before adding them into the catalogue. The catalogue currently has 155 wigs in a variety of all styles, colours and lengths. Cancer Society clients can access this library catalogue via their Society Navigator to search and receive a wig.
Helen says that her volunteer workload from home varies from month to month. Last month she took 15 wigs home with her to give the home salon treatment to.
"I always treat each wig with great respect and hope that whoever donated it is doing well and that their hair has grown back. I really feel for the women."
The Cancer Society wishes to take the opportunity this National Volunteer Week to thank all the amazing volunteers who, just like Helen whose dedication and devotion allow us to offer the support services we do.
If you’re keen to find out more about how you can get involved in volunteering with the Cancer Society head to cancer.org.nz/get-involved/volunteer/
If you want to find out more about the wig library service, including to donate a wig to the collection, contact Community Manager, Emma Richards on emma.richards@southerncancer.org.nz.