Nurturing and nursing
Supporting others for the benefit of the community has been just ‘‘a way of life’’ for Penny Molnar, of Nelson, who has been awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the community.
There are not many organisations here Molnar hasn’t been involved with. She is a founding member of the Nelson Multicultural Council, she helped to establish the Nelson Women’s Centre and the Victory Community Centre, she was a trustee on the Whenua Iti Outdoors Trust and the Nelson Tasman Pasifika Trust, and has volunteered her time to many others.
But she said the word ‘‘voluntary’’ always seemed a bit strange.
‘‘You do it because you like being part of the community.’’
Being community-minded is clearly in Molnar’s blood. Her parents were very involved in the small town south of Christchurch where she grew up. ‘‘Mum was involved in the church and Red Cross, and Dad taught most kids to swim and coached rugby.’’
Molnar has lived in Nelson for 35 years, and has been deeply involved with a number of organisations. ‘‘That is the sort of way of life for me.’’
She completed her nursing training in Wellington in the 1960s, before going on to work as a public health nurse, which she ‘‘absolutely loved’’.
When needed, she would fill in as a social worker for the Department of Social Welfare in Porirua, which ‘‘opened her eyes’’ to what families and children were facing.
‘‘I really believe there is potential in all of us if we are given the chance.’’
With two young boys, Molnar and her husband made the decision to move to Nelson. Unable to get work as a nurse, she took on a job at the Manuka Community Centre.
What started out as a playgroup in the Catholic church grew into a community house in Wainui St that supported mothers by providing childcare. There was little financial support for the organisation at the time, and Molnar said much of her work was focused on finding funds.
Later, as the first regional coordinator for the Community Organisation Grants Scheme, she had a hand in helping organisations to access funding.
‘‘It was a really good example of giving the community the responsibility to do things themselves. I just loved that.’’
It was in the early 2000s during a cycling holiday in Kenya that Molnar decided she wanted to go back to nursing.
She was one of the driving forces behind the Victory Community Health, which in collaboration with the school went on to form the Victory Community Centre. She described her role as ‘‘social work with a health focus’’.
Molnar said she accepted the Queen’s Service Medal on behalf of all of the people she had worked alongside over the years.
‘‘I never do anything on my own. From time to time I have cajoled others into doing things, but it has always been together.’’