written by Julie Cadwallender (Community Connector)
If you have a tween or teenage daughter and haven't heard of the Shine Girl programme run by Connect Marlborough Trust, you should go look it up! It teaches girls all about their self-worth, value, resilience, communication, empowerment, strength, potential, and so much more.
This is an invaluable programme run thanks to the generosity of volunteers, including Jess, the recipient of February's Volunteer of the Month Award.
Jess has been volunteering as the Shine Girl Facilitator since not long after it started in Blenheim. As we chatted about why she started volunteering she said "The first term Shine Girl ran, I had not long had my leg amputated. It was advertised on Facebook, looking for someone to help run it. I thought about it over the holidays and, at the AGM, Tineka mentioned someone had stepped down. So I asked more about it and said I'd love to do it. It felt right, and I feel like God put the steps in my path for me."
Jess has so much passion, kindness, empathy, and wisdom to share with the girls she helps through the Shine Girl programme. She loves her role where, she explains, she helps to facilitate the programme for teen girls, teaching them their value, worth, and purpose over 8 weeks using different activities. She also provides afternoon tea through delicious homebaked goods like muffins, scones, brownies, etc. while catering for any allergies.
Tineka describes Jess as a "creative, bubbly woman who has had to overcome some big medical challenges, including having her leg amputated. She has not let it slow her down and uses it to teach and inspire the girls about resilience, strength, and self-value. Her dedication to the programme is an example to the rest of us. She has organised her work so she is free to help with the programme and the rare time she can't make it, she still has the food organised. Jess doesn't just talk the talk, she lives the lessons we teach the girls."
It is evident how much value Shine Girl gives our community and, when we were talking about the impact it has, Jess said, "We are giving these young girls a sense of self-worth and self-value. We are growing strong, independent women, and they are loved. We teach them that their worth isn't based around other people's opinions."
She went on to say, "When life throws you a curveball, you pick it up and throw it back."
We had a big chat about the influences in today's lives for teenagers and how a programme like Shine Girl is really beneficial to them and their confidence, maturity, and all other aspects taught over the 8 weeks. Jess's favourite part is "seeing it click - seeing the lessons, especially of self-value and self-worth click within the girls".
Outside of Shine Girl, Jess has a wee one-month-old, she works at OSCARS which is planned around Shine Girl so she can still do it, and she also helps out at church.
Jess's advice for anyone thinking about volunteering is, "give it a go, see where your heart lies. I was nervous at first but love it. Just give it a go because you're never going to know how much you love something unless you try."
It is very clear how much this role means to Jess and how much she enjoys helping the girls. She wanted to give a "huge thanks to Connect Marlborough Trust for doing the financial side of things so we are able to run Shine Girl. Thank you to the parents for bringing your girls along, and also to the participants - thank you for coming and doing this with us."
Jess, you are such an inspiration, and we can see why so many girls look forward to Thursday afternoons with you. Thank you for all your hard work investing into the tweens and teens of Marlborough!
Keen to give volunteering a go? Curious about where you can share your existing skills and experience, or build new ones? Get in touch with our team at Volunteer Marlborough on 03-577-9388, email vm@volunteermarlborough.org.nz or view current roles on our website
Thank you to New World Blenheim for sponsoring our Volunteer of the Month Award!
