Mandy Silcock has been with Eyebright for nearly a year.   You may have seen her as a little girl behind the counter at Brewerton Electrical on Collingwood Street (Now called Lighthouse).  She literally grew up behind that counter.  Her family home was behind the shop they owned, and Mandy was the youngest of four children, all of whom helped out the family business.

 

Long before I ever met Mandy I remember being struck by the standard of service I received at Brewertons.  Now I’m thrilled to have on board one of the Brewerton girls

Mandy and her husband Brendon moved to Christchurch as thousands were moving out.  Shortly after the last big shake (February 2012).  Brendon, a civil engineer, took his family there because that is where the work was.  In the distress of the broken city, Mandy found a rewarding and worthwhile role.  She answered an advertisement asking for volunteers to assist elderly people traumatised by the earthquakes.  After nearly a year of training, Mandy started welcoming the old and isolated into her home.  She gave them, a warm meal, and a dose of family life.  Though the programme was started after the earthquakes, the issues were not new:  Older people isolated from their families, living alone, and not coping.

 

It was far from easy, but Mandy’s family, including her school aged daughter and two sons, were supportive.  Her client would be dropped off, Mandy would spend time with them and do ordinary things, the kids would come home from school and perhaps play a game with their visitor, or just talk.  Their guest would then be taken back to their home with fond memories to savour over the coming week.  Of course, Mandy got to know her people well and became a reliable source of information on whether more support was required.

 

Soon after Mandy and her family moved back to Nelson, she answered another advert; this time in the Eyebright Newsletter.  We were seeking a person who loved serving people.  The same caring nature that served Mandy well behind the counter at Brewerton Electrical, as a wife, a mother, and carer, has made her a much-appreciated member of the Eyebright team.

MAY 26, 2017 • PETER OWEN