All types of questions pop up for Citizens Advice Bureau staff and volunteers to answer when responding to inquiries from the public.
They’re usually of a serious or general information nature, but sometimes they just make one smile.
At the recent 15th anniversary celebrations of the Citizens Advice Bureau Botany, it was mentioned that staff down the years have been asked: “What is the latest news about Rachel Hunter?”, and “how do you boil an egg?” Everyone laughed.
It was a decade and a half ago that the Citizens Advice Bureau Pakuranga-Eastern Manukau identified, along with other community leaders, workers and volunteers, there was a need for another CAB branch in east Auckland.
Kerry Dalton, chief executive of CAB New Zealand, who attended the 15th birthday festivities at Botany Library, recalled the establishment of CAB Botany.
“This community had been identified as fast growing. In setting up this branch, there were many partnerships and collaborations. It involved a lot of work,” she said.
“I want to pay tribute to the vision and work of the staff and volunteers who give their time to support members of our community.”
Dalton, along with others, acknowledged the determination of former Howick Local Board member Garry Boles to make the CAB Botany become a reality when he was the Botany community constable for Counties Manukau East Police.
CAB Pakuranga-Eastern Manukau chair Richard Ison acknowledged the Botany branch’s “15 years of really good service we’ve given the community”.
He also read from letters of appreciation from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, the MP for Botany, and Simeon Brown, the multi-portfolio Government Minister and MP for Pakuranga.
Howick Local Board chair Damian Light said: “The CAB is a really important service and does fantastic things. It helps people navigate bureaucracy.
“Clients come to us at the Howick Local Board and we refer them on issues to the CAB, which has many amazing volunteers.
“There is a strong expectation and desire from the community to have an organisation such as the CAB and we are very thankful to them,” said Light.
The Times talked with Tricia Burns, a CAB life member who started out as an interviewer and is the information officer.
We suggested to her that the volunteers needed to have a very broad knowledge of organisations and what they do.
“It’s more about knowing where to find that information for people. You learn something every day.”
