Hospice is one of those causes that stays with you once you’ve seen it up close.
Not because it’s dramatic, but because of the way care is given without holding back. People being completely present. Being there for families at one of the most important moments of their lives.
For Olinka, that’s why Mary Potter Hospice still feels personal: “I still think of Mary Potter as ‘my’ hospice.”
A connection that stays with you
Olinka worked at Mary Potter Hospice for ten years and saw first-hand the difference hospice care makes, not just for patients, but for the families around them.
“The care is given with no holding back, and the staff give of themselves as much as they can for whatever is important, going the extra mile for that family and that patient.”
Together with her husband Graeme, Olinka deeply respects the complete end-of-life care hospice provides.
“It’s welcoming, and not just medical care but spiritual, cultural and meets all other needs too. No matter if patients are at home or at the hospice itself, the level of care is exemplary.”
Does this feel familiar?
Many people who’ve seen hospice care up close choose to support it through a gift in their Will.
Being there for the community
That belief, of being there when it counts, has always guided how Olinka and Graeme live.
They’ve long been community-minded, much of that through their involvement with the Karori Lions Club. Over the years, that’s meant book fairs, e-recycling, countless sausage sizzles, aluminium can recycling, and many cold mornings standing on the street holding collection buckets for various causes.
More recently, they’ve continued that spirit closer to home. In November, they hosted a Strawberry Festival of their own at Summerset on the Landing, where they’ve lived for over four years. It raised more than $3,000!
While Olinka has since retired from her role at the hospice, her connection hasn’t ended. It has simply changed.
“I still feel I’m part of the hospice, even though I’m not.”
Reflecting on a long career and many experiences, Olinka says hospice stands apart.
“We’ve had a corporate background, and done all sorts of weird and wonderful things. Fabulous things. But when it comes to hospice, it’s different. It’s just very meaningful, I think. And it stays with you.”
When caring continues beyond your lifetime
So when Olinka and Graeme began thinking about their Will, supporting hospice felt like a natural next step.
They recommend first taking care of family, and then supporting the causes that have mattered most throughout life.
“It’s family first. Our family are happy for us to also gift to other charities as we see fit because they can see it’s important to us. And they themselves support charities of their own choice too.”
For Olinka and Graeme, leaving a gift to Mary Potter Hospice isn’t about making a grand gesture. It’s about continuing to support the kind of care they believe in, care they know makes a real difference.
“None of it is wasted and it all goes to the good of patients and those families.”
Considering a gift in your Will?
If this story resonated with you, if you’ve witnessed the care hospice provides or feel a connection to what it stands for, leaving a gift in your Will is one way to ensure that hospice care continues.
Like Olinka and Graeme, many people choose to look after their family first, and then include a gift to the causes that have meant something to them throughout their lives.
A simple next step
To help make the process easier, Mary Potter Hospice has created a Gifts in Wills information pack that gently walks you through:
- what a gift in your Will can look like
- the options available to you
- how to include Mary Potter Hospice in your Will
- answers to common questions
There’s no obligation. It’s simply there to help you understand your options.
If you’d prefer to talk things through, our team is here to help. Phone 0800 627 976 or email donations@marypotter.org.nz.
Alternatively, register for a FREE online Single Will through Footprint.