September update

A Godsend for an overwhelmed grandmother! 

Ani* is a nana who looks after her 80 year-old mum and her own child. She recently became the  main care-giver for her three moko (grandchildren) who are all under  five-years old, including a young  baby.

Even before her moko (grandchildren) arrived, Ani’s life was extremely busy with working full-time, caring for her mum and child, and being heavily involved  with her marae. Having a whānau  (family) of eight to care for was overwhelming and stressful.  

In desperation she reached out to  Parent-Aid North-West (Kaipara), who provide support services and practical help to parents and caregivers in difficulty with babies and young children.

When the grandchildren (moko) first arrived she was just given a bassinet for the baby and a bag of clothes that weren’t suitable for winter.  

Parent-Aid North West (Kaipara) provided clothes, bedding, blankets, nappies, and toys for the baby.  

“I was overwhelmed with the  support. There was no way I would have been able to purchase these  items for my moko.”

After a few weeks, a Parent-Aid home-support worker would come to her home one day a week for a few hours to help with household chores and baking with the grandchildren.

With their support, Ani’s stress and anxiety levels dropped and she felt  more able to cope.  

Ani said:

“I feel blessed to have  Parent-Aid available to me and my  whānau. Without the support given  from them I believe my home would not be as happy as it currently is.”  
It has been nice to not feel judged or feel inadequate that life’s challenges had in  some way got on top of me, and help and support was available to me and my whānau.

*not her real name.

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Bishop Steve’s Message of Hope

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Thank you for the hope and  care that you give to those in need through your donations to my foundation. Every gift that you make is turned into hope for so many in need from the  tip of the North Island down to Thames/Whitianga. 

You give hope and support to the single dad who is battling to  look after his children.  

You give hope to the teenager who battles to find their place in  the world. 

Your gift gives hope to the ate afternoon. 

During the car ride on the first day, Dan was very quiet, only grandmother battling to care  and provide for her moko (grandchildren). 

In his homily (Easter 2020), Pope Francis reminds us that hope sustains us, and, through the  gift of hope, God calls us to give  life to others.  

“With the virtue of hope, we gain the ability to persevere even through the darkest nights  because we are assured of what is on the other side. This hope sustains us in our trials  and gives us the courage to fight on.” 

Hope is a powerful message  employment.  

*not his real name 

to us all. It is transformative, inspirational, and life-giving. In  a world of doom and gloom, hope is a guiding light and a  reminder of Christ’s eternal love for us.  

Thank you for giving hope to the thousands of people who  receive care and support through your donations. 

Through Christ the Good Shepherd,  

Bishop Steve Lowe

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Dan gets a job!

Dan* has ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and gets easily agitated  at times and is quite short tempered. He lives with his  mum and younger sister.  

Staying at school was too difficult for Dan, so he was referred to Te Roopu O Wai Ora Inc. so they could help him find work skills. The team got him a  position with a house painter so that he could learn skills on the job and get paid for it.

Mum was grateful that he  would be doing something  positive and not getting into  trouble.  

Every morning, his mentor from Te Roopu O Wai Ora would pick  Dan up from his home and drop him home again in the answering questions with a  grunt. He was only sixteen years old and anxious about being at  a workplace. Once he was on site, one of the older members  f the team helped him and  soon he was chatting and  feeling more comfortable.

It wasn’t easy for Dan,  but he felt a real sense of  empowerment from being paid  wages and working at a real  job. His mother could see how  much Dan had benefitted from  the work, and the changes to  his behaviour.

By having the one-on-one mentoring and support, and transport to and from work, the team at Te Roopu O Wai Ora were able to help this struggling  teen get a chance at building some real work skills and future.

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Thank you! 

Thanks to your compassionate donations, organisations like Te Roopu O Wai Ora can make a difference to the  lives of at-risk young people, just like Dan.  

They provide the right mentoring and help to ensure that young.