17/08/2025
When Olivia came across a post about RockPool on a local page, she wasn’t actively looking for work. With two young children at home and a background in early childhood education, she was hesitant about returning to a role that would take her away from her family.
“I was procrastinating going back to work,” she says. “Nothing felt quite right. Everything seemed like it would take too much time away from my kids.”
But RockPool felt different. After chatting with co-founders Masina and Libby, Olivia realised she’d found something that could work – not just logistically, but emotionally, too. “It felt like the perfect fit,” she says. “I could choose my hours, stay close to my family, and still do something that felt really meaningful.”
Based in the Hutt Valley, Olivia supports two RockPool members – both fiercely independent women with rich lives and full histories. “They’ve told me they didn’t want the kind of mainstream support that can feel impersonal,” Olivia explains. “They weren’t looking for someone to come in and just do tasks. They wanted connection – something that feels more like family.”
Each visit is different. Some days, Olivia helps with household tasks like cleaning or changing sheets. Other days, she simply sits and chats, listening to stories or sharing a cup of tea. “It never feels like a chore,” she says. “It’s not like a job. It’s just being with someone and seeing what they need in that moment.”
One of the most unexpected – and joyful – parts of Olivia’s RockPool experience has been sharing it with her five-year-old daughter, who occasionally comes along for visits. “My clients love it,” she says. “They are always asking if she can come along too. One of them went out to buy scrapbooking materials especially for my daughter so they could do crafts together. Another reads her Goldilocks books.”
These intergenerational moments are deeply special – not just for Olivia and her clients, but for her daughter, too. “I don’t have extended family nearby, so it’s been lovely for her to have those connections. While I’m wiping down the bench, I can hear her and my client chatting away. It’s beautiful.”
For one client who doesn’t have family nearby, these visits have become something more than just support – they feel like time spent with whānau. And for the other, who has a close family network, Olivia’s visits offer something different: a friendly presence who’s there to connect, to chat, and to share in the little things that brighten the day.
Looking ahead, Olivia hopes to spend time beyond the home with her clients. “Even just getting out together for a walk or a café visit – I think it would spark so many great conversations,” she says. “They have so much knowledge and life experience, and seeing things through their eyes would be amazing.”
In the end, it’s that sense of shared experience and mutual enrichment that keeps Olivia coming back. “This really fills my cup,” she says. “It’s not just meaningful for them – it’s meaningful for me too. Being part of something that’s missing in our communities, something that’s about real connection… it’s really special.”
