Friends of Fred

To support its work, The Fred Hollows Foundation has recently recruited a volunteer team of five regional representatives to help spread the word and share the work of the Foundation.  Each of the volunteers has been selected for their interest in, knowledge of, and commitment to the work of the Foundation.

If you would like one of the Friends of Fred to talk to your community group or organisation, you can contact them via their emails listed below or by calling The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ at 09 304 0524

Laura is related to the late Professor Fred Hollows and has been a supporter of The Foundation for more than 15 years. Her interest in the Pacific also stems from her work in pacific education over the past 40 years.
 
“I am enthusiastic about being a Friend of Fred because The Fred Hollows Foundation is an exemplar of the philosophy: 'If you give a person a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a person to fish, you feed him forever'. The Foundation’s results are so tangible. You know that everytime someone's sight is restored, not just one, but many, lives are improved.  A very small donation significantly reduces the hardship endured by those affected by avoidable blindness, and it seems to me that once they know this, most people would want to support this work. "

Contact Laura at vanpeer@paradise.net.nz 

Hailing from Hastings, Pam is a niece of the late Professor Fred Hollows and has spent most of her working life involved in fundraising, management and serving on the boards of NGO’s. She is also the treasurer of Literacy Aotearoa, Hawkes Bay.

With a close family connection to the Foundation and living in a community where there are many Pacific Islanders, Pam feels strongly that being involved will help give something back to her community.

“The invitation to become involved in the Friends of Fred is probably the biggest and the most rewarding challenge in my life. To be part of a cause which is helping people who are unable to find the means for themselves to have sight again is deeply moving. When I have doubts about my own capacity to contribute, I remind myself of Uncle Fred  and his formidable strength of character that fuelled his passion for justice."

Contact Pam at pamhollows@clear.net.nz 

Kate lives in New Plymouth where she works as a registered theatre nurse at New Plymouth base hospital. Her involvement with the Foundation started three years ago when she volunteered  in Papua New Guinea training theatre nurses.

“I have been to PNG three times now and feel privileged to be able to work with the staff there.  Their dedication, often working in difficult conditions, is to be admired.  They are tireless in their efforts to provide sight to the people of their country. After being in PNG myself, and seeing first hand how much they accomplish with so little, I want to allow them to do more.  Here in the west, we have so very much and we take it all for granted.   Without sight, life can be bleak. With sight restored, life can be about living again, instead of just existing."

Contact Kate at k8yspud@yahoo.com.au

Natasha is our youngest member of the Friends of Fred and is also a niece of the late Professor Fred Hollows.

“I remember Uncle Fred as a kind, caring person who was fun to be around; I always looked forward to seeing him and hearing his deep story-telling voice.  He has been an inspiration to me in many ways which is why this new initiative is exciting for me, I am looking forward to being involved and hopefully I can reach out to the younger generation.”

 Natasha has recently moved to the Hawkes Bay, but has many contacts in the Palmerston North region.

Contact Natasha at bitthealien@hotmail.com

Although Heather resides in Marton, she travels daily to work as a clinical nurse specialist responsible for ophthalmology in operating theatre at Wanganui Hospital. Heather has been a volunteer at the Pacific Eye Institute in Fiji, where she trained nurses in theatre procedure and protocols.  Heather has a passion for the profession and sees her involvement as a “Friend of Fred” as a way of giving back to the Hollows community.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Fiji working with the Hollows team in Suva.  It was a very rewarding experience to see the nurses develop and become competent, and to know they will have a major impact on the lives of many is very humbling."

Heather is also a member of the Rotary Club of Marton and actively encourages the club to support the Foundation.
 
Contact Heather at  hrichardson@clear.net.nz