Renee joined Christian Homes Tasmania in 2022 as a Lifestyle and Leisure Attendant, bringing with her 18 years of experience as a carer. She was looking for a fresh start and found it in this new role.
“I wanted something different, something less stressful on my mental health,” Renee says. “As a carer, you never get the time to do the fun stuff with the residents, but in leisure and lifestyle, I get to spend quality time with them, and I love it.”
Working across both Snug and Hawthorn Villages, Renee enjoys building relationships with residents in both communities. “It’s great because I get to meet heaps of people,” she says. “I love the bus trips and seeing the residents smile, especially when the alpaca comes to visit. We’re always trying different things to keep it interesting.”
Having lived locally in Blackmans Bay most of her life, Renee feels a strong connection to the community. “I knew some of the residents before I started, just from living around Kingston and Snug. Many are from Cygnet, where my mum and grandparents are from. It’s nice to have that connection and be able to relate to each other,” she shares.
Renee was surprised to run into her high school teacher, Dave Ellis, now a resident at CHT once she started working at Hawthorn Village. “He was the best teacher, he hasn’t changed from 20 years ago – calm, happy, and thoughtful. It was awkward when I first saw him – do I call him Mr. Ellis or Dave? I’ve only just started calling him Dave. He didn’t recognise me at first, but I made sure he knew he was the best. I still have the spatula I made in his class. There are so many connections here. My dad was an apprentice at Laver Construction under Dirk and Klaus. And Ray at Snug was a police officer, he saved my uncle from a pub fight years ago.”
Renee is passionate about growing those connections in the community, “We’re trying to get more visits from Snug Primary or even the local daycare,” she says. “The residents love having the kids around.”
Renee loves every shift at Christian Homes Tasmania. “Honestly, I love it here. The support CHT offers is amazing – even things like grief counselling, which is huge. It’s nice to feel looked after,” she says. “And I can bring my child in to visit now that COVID restrictions have eased. The residents love it, and it’s good for the kids to learn to respect their elders.”