Bio:

Renata was brought up in a coastal town in the lower part of the North Island. In her early 20’s she moved with her husband to a small town in the middle of the North Island where they lived for many  years before relocating to Whakatāne to retire. She is very happy to be living close to the ocean as she did when she was a child, describing this she said, “I love it because it’s by the ocean…when we first got here in the Winter we went to the beach and the salt air just hit me. It felt like I was coming home.” When speaking about aging, being in her 60’s and a recent birthday Renata emphasised that “you’re only as old as you feel.” Despite living with a chronic health issue and having recently struggled to find permanent housing Renata describes herself as a ‘cup half full, not a cup half empty’ kind of person. She was introduced to the VEBV when she applied to their HomeShare program, although this didn’t work out as she’d hoped it was through one of the VEBV facilitators that she eventually found the flat she is currently living in. She described the enormous relief of finding stable housing, and said about her flat, “I love it, I call it my little tiny home.” Renata is grateful for the support the VEBV has given her, both through the help with housing and the sense of family that has developed for her. When describing what she likes about the VEBV she said, “there’s caring, there’s understanding, there’s kindness. I like to think that there is love, there’s respect, there’s a feeling of belonging, that’s the one, they’re like my second family. You know what I mean, because all my family are scattered.” Like many of the VEBV members she also enjoys helping her fellow VEBV members and members of the community. Currently she is volunteering on a mentoring program she learnt about through the VEBV, and with a food distribution program that she does with a fellow VEBV member.