It has been a pleasure to be involved as a volunteer with the North Shore Stroke Recovery Centre. Although I have only been a part of the group for about 2 years, I look forward each week to meeting and catching up with those who have become familiar faces, acquaintances and even friends.

I recently retired from a career in acute and outpatient health care having worked as a physiotherapist for several years and for more than 25 years as an occupational therapist, mostly in mental health providing group and individual therapy for adult and older adult clients. Retiring, especially during the social isolation demanded by the pandemic was startling, more challenging than I had anticipated. Whereas my work had involved meeting and talking with clients all day, I now found that my social interaction was restricted to very periodic conversations with the checkout clerk at the local market.

Although I am not a stroke survivor, I attend the Centre as do others, for a sense of well being-to improve the quality of my life. Such a pleasure to spend time with interesting people from often very different walks of life–especially at this very interesting and challenging time of their lives. It is my pleasure-and privilege to be able to volunteer at the Stroke Recovery Centre.