![]() AFTER years of raising her four children, Ema Jones (left) is now sharing her wealth of knowledge with whānau at the Vanessa Lowndes Centre. VLC helps whānau with mental, physical or intellectual disabilities build confidence, perhaps to the point where they are job-ready. And for “Aunty Em” that means tackling the basics. While VLC offers programmes from creativity to cooking, horticulture to health, her job as kaiāwhina involves delivering modules around personal hygiene and running a home. “It is all things we do in our everyday lives – having regular showers, keeping the house clean – and we tend to take it for granted that everybody else does the same,” she says. “But some of our whānau require a bit of help in learning the skills needed to live independently. We know what their strengths are, we know they can live well, it's just a matter of providing the necessary support and guidance.” Born in Tokomaru Bay, Ema Jones (Ngati Porou) brings a broad range of experience to her role at VLC, which has nearly 40 whānau on its books. ” She's a big fan of hunting, fishing and camping; an experienced netball player; and, when she gets the chance, loves to read. She goes to great lengths to do her job driving more than 70 kms each way daily from Matawai, where her husband manages a farm. “This work is perfect for me,” she says. “It means I can be 'Aunty Em', not just to my own whānau, but to the whānau here at VLC.
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November 2024
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