Tree change for Julia brings her to Currie Park

Life has changed pace enormously for volunteer Julia Jones, and she is loving every minute it.

She has gone from working long hours on multi-million dollar projects in the fast-moving consumer goods industry to slowing to enjoy life on a farm outside Euroa, as well as volunteer at Currie Park, garden, sew and paint.

Julia took a redundancy after 20 years in the corporate retail world last year. The COVID-19 lockdowns helped her to re-assess plans, too.

“I may not work the hours I used to but I certainly am busy every day doing what I love and want to do,” Julia said.

For her, the main change has been the realisation that her past maxim of working to live and living to work was no longer important.

“It’s been good to make a break and take time to reflect on what is important to me,” Julia said.

What is important includes spending more time on the farm where she and her partner agist cattle, spend time in the garden, and on their hobbies.

Julia had always been interested in volunteering and was drawn to the call for volunteers at Currie Park because it seemed right for her.

“I had thought several times last year how difficult it must have been for older people in lockdown and away from their families,” Julia said.

“The chance to volunteer and be around older people was something which appealed to me, perhaps because I appreciate they have a wealth of knowledge and life experiences to share.

Julia knew little about OCAV, and even less about independent living retirement villages.

“I didn’t have a real appreciation of the different types of aged care settings. It was a joy to learn more about what independent living is, and to hear more about assisted living which is a wonderful support for older people who want to live independently but need a bit more support – like a cooked meal and help in and around their unit.”

She has been to Currie Park several times to meet with residents and find her feet and get hands on in the garden.

“It is a safe and happy place to visit, and the community is wonderful and welcoming,” she said.

She is already on board helping plan and working in the community vegetable garden where the residents’ gardening team is about to build a green wall of peas in front of the generator and along a side fence.

“We are also looking at the possibility of propagating seedlings for sale in the Euroa community market, ploughing any profits back into the vegetable garden”

She is also involved in the Virtual Reality program run for residents at Currie Park.

For Julia, volunteering allows her to do something meaningful with her time.

“There is never an end to the possibilities at Currie Park. Paid work certainly does not define who you are,” she said.