Throughout the rollercoaster ride that 2021 surprised us with, we have been able to continue making a tangible and lasting difference in the lives of our most vulnerable families.
This was all thanks to our generous supporters!
As the festive season comes upon us, we want to take a moment to appreciate and thank our donors for helping make our work possible.
You can bring more hope to New Zealand families this Christmas by making a much-needed and gratefully received donation.
Our services have been stretched during the months of the pandemic, and particularly during the recent lockdowns in Auckland, Northland and the Waikato.
Every year we support families by providing around 2500 emergency food parcels to families in need, but this year our provisions ran very low when demand peaked as a result of the lockdowns.
You may have seen the story on our foodbank in the NZ Herald. It is a challenging situation to be in when we are not able to meet the needs of all the struggling families who come to seek our support.
Many children are feeling the full effects of the pressure families are experiencing right now, as they also struggle with home-schooling, separation from friends and wider family, and the loss of even their most basic requirements including nutritional food.
We envisage the situation to get worse before it improves.
Which is why we’re reaching out to ask for your help this Christmas, to help us meet the needs of families hit hardest by the events of the pandemic.
The best way of illustrating the key difference your donation can make to a family’s life is by telling you about one family that our teams have worked with this year.
Our Family Works social worker Belle* got to know a family in the community several years ago when she worked at the school where the family’s child was attending. The same family reached out again years later to ask for help with the child’s school participation and emotional wellbeing. In the process, Belle was able to help them on some wider issues too, always with their leading and in their own time.
That special relationship that had developed between Belle and the family was key in them reaching out during the recent lockdowns. The mother Anthea* called her in a very emotional state, saying “Enough is enough,” and wanting help to make some lasting changes that would help them move forward.
This process is challenging for any family, but Anthea was in regular contact with multiple services on offer from Family Works, such as a financial mentor, and a counsellor. It has made such a terrific difference in how she now manages finances, and the financial mentor was also able to help her navigate some challenging issues with IRD, which had been weighing on her mind.
With that weight lifted off, Anthea is now able to be there for her children more, and reports that her partner has seen the difference too.
The challenges didn’t end there though.
Their landlord wanted to sell the house they had been renting, so they faced eviction and the stress of finding a new home under time pressure. Family Works has been there to advocate for them, to help navigate the Ministry of Social Development and WINZ, and is continuing to work with the family to identify their strengths, to build upon them and work towards a more hopeful and richer future.
Your contribution helps families have better lives.
Whether it’s counselling, advocating, supporting children in schools, distributing emergency foodbank parcels, providing parenting skills, social work, or financial mentoring – Family Works continues to meet families where their needs are being most acutely felt.
We can’t meet the needs of all the families needing support in our communities without you. Your generosity means we can continue to provide services and support where the needs are greatest, especially as demand is at a new peak.
This Christmas, many throughout the country will be feeling the pinch because of the pandemic. With finances taking a hammering and families struggling to provide for their children during the Christmas season, tensions will be at an all-time high.
You can make a difference to those families by donating now.
Thank you for supporting the essential work we do at Family Works. And thank you for taking the time to consider making a special donation that will significantly impact the lives of our families, and bring hope to the most vulnerable among us this Christmas.
*names changed to protect identity
