As Personal Assistant to our Kaiwhakahaere Ruth, Catherine is a key part of organising events for our Hei Whakapiki Mauri whānau and is at the ready for writing rōpū emails, taking meeting minutes, organising travel and hui details, and most importantly: coffee and kai duty!
Being a people person who loves to help, considerate and caring with a contagious laugh, as well as having an administration background, Catherine is the perfect person for this role. As a mother of three, a wife, an auntie, a sister, a daughter and one of 38 grandchildren, Catherine is accustomed to being part of a big family. Through Hei Whakapiki Mauri, she is enjoying discovering the depth of being part of a whānau-centred kaupapa and says she loves the support system and connections it has fostered for her, as well as the personal and professional growth opportunities.
“I love working with Ruth and Gary, whānau, and the wider community. It’s a great time with one big, happy, slightly-dysfunctional family… why would you have it any other way?” she says.
Born and raised in Ōtautahi as a pākehā woman, Catherine wants her family and children to experience te ao Māori and be open-minded. As someone who is skilled at walking between worlds, Catherine is adaptable and consistently thinking about how she can better contribute to her Hei Whakapiki Mauri whānau and the wider community.
Understanding the unique struggles that Māori with disabilities experience with the health and disability system has been eye-opening for Catherine. She enjoys hearing whānau stories, the experiences her role brings, and being involved in the incredible work being done on a multitude of platforms.
Catherine met Ruth through her work with Marralomeda, a Christian community that advocates for people with intellectual disabilities. Ruth opened the door to working with Hei Whakapiki Mauri and as Catherine is a strong believer in God’s timing, she felt this opportunity wasn’t one to be missed.
Catherine is also the treasurer of her sons’ Scouts group, the minute taker for Marralomeda, minute taker for Disability Leadership Canterbury, and an active member of her Church.
Outside of mahi, she enjoys thrifting clothes and materials to then make and sew her children’s clothes and clothes for their barbies, cross stitching and exploring local walking trails with her family. With any spare time left, Catherine and her hubby enjoy a good Gilmour Girls binge on Netflix.