The need is ongoing, we are still collecting quality bedding and towels, and donations are needed to buy the essentials families are asking for.
Last week we helped a grandmother with 2 daughters, who were flooded out of their refuge. Luckily, after finding her family homeless, another refuge offered her a home. The Catalytic Foundation (with thanks to our donors) gave her Warehouse vouchers, clothing, shoes, towels and bed linen. We later received an email from her saying:
“Thank you so much for all the stuff you gave, it’s wonderful to have stuff we can call our own. As we had nothing to begin with. We moved into a women’s refuge during the flood, we only had stuff at that refuge, but lost them as our room got flooded. We then moved into a civil defence centre, there they gave us clothing to wear, and what we wore, we went with to temporary accommodation, from there to the new refuge we are at, we came with just what we wore. So, thank you so very much, not only for the stuff but also with the $200 warehouse gift card. Bless you and all you do for families like us who have lost everything. Thank you Thank you Thank you”
On Saturday 18th Feb, we provided linen, towels and New World vouchers to community charity Woven Earth, who worked with their volunteers to furnish a home for multiple families in Muriwai. Thank you to New World Long Bay for contributing a further $500 voucher for these families.
“Thank you so much for the vouchers and the support to get all of that out to Muriwai yesterday. They cried when I gave them the vouchers. It was pretty sobering being out there. The people helping to clean this house up were all forced to leave their homes. There were very humble and so grateful for the support” CEO of Woven Earth charity
Currently, we are supporting Woven Earth as they help to set up Muriwai Surf Club for families to live in. The club will house many homeless families from the area.
On Monday 20th Feb, we dropped of a van load of clothes, bed linen and towels to charity Island Child, who provide transitional housing for families. This amazing charity will distribute the items to families in transition, families affected by the flooding in South Auckland families and to fruit pickers in the Hawkes Bay.
On Tuesday 21st Feb we are working with volunteers to prepare 200 backpacks with school supplies for children. These will be distributed to families affected by the floods and/or financial insecurity in the greater Auckland area.
These are examples of the ongoing work we are assisting with. There are still many families in Mangere (South Auckland) and Muriwai (West Auckland) and the Hawkes Bay that we can support with your help. The community charities we work with advise us of the urgent necessities needed, and with your help we can support this important frontline work.