Charity Feature:

It is no secret that families all around New Zealand have experienced financial and mental distress during the Covid-19 Lockdown.

Families with young children with illnesses have struggled to support them as they have not been at work, placing stress and hardship in their everyday lives.

Bellyful was ‘born’ out the desire to see families supported by their fellow community members. The Bellyful team cook and delivers meals to families with new-born babies who are struggling with illness where there is no family or social support.

Since the onset of the level 4 lockdown in New Zealand, Bellyful has experienced a 30% drop in revenue. This is due to the fact they have had to cancel many of their fundraising events. As a response to this, Bellyful have kickstarted a “Bake for Bellyful” initiative that aims to get kiwi communities all around New Zealand baking!

Mastercard donation provides post-trauma support for families affected by the Christchurch Mosque shootings

While over a year has passed, the people impacted by the Christchurch Massacre continue to feel its affects. Thanks to a generous grant received this month from Mastercard, frontline charities supporting those affected have some extra help.

A donation of $65,000 was made to Christchurch Resettlement Services, 180 Degrees Trust, Waitaki Multi-Cultural Council, 298 Youth Health Centre, Youthline Central South Island, Aoraki Migrant Centre, PIPS Pregnancy Infancy Parenting Support and Compassion Trust to continue the important work they do helping those affected by the tragedy to continue to heal. Thank you Mastercard for remembering those affected.

"It made my week to receive and distribute a grant of $65,000 from Mastercard to eight frontline charities to help them continue their critical work supporting those impacted by last year’s Christchurch Mosque Massacre. Thank you Mastercard for recognising that the process of supporting individuals and communities to heal continues long after the event itself" Heather Rankin, Catalytic Foundation Grants Manager

Charity News:

Budgeting and Family Services is an essential frontline organisation and continues to provide the Food bank and services for families in South Auckland. Without funding, their Food Bank may not be able to provide the high volume of requests for food from people who are struggling and have lost work due to the COVID-19 outbreak. There has been a huge increase in demand for this Food Bank, due to a massive growth in food insecurity. 

Budgeting and Family Support Services require donations to meet the demand from the South Auckland communities. The Food Bank operates for those in genuine need of food from 9am to 2pm each day, Monday to Friday and has an office and communications available for food requests and family support services.

Budgeting & Family Support Services are based in Mangere, Otara & Tuakau providing support to families and individuals with a range of social services; as well as raising the issues affecting low-income families/whanau right across Aotearoa. For the past 23 years they have  provided a wide range of innovative and quality focused family services and now they need your help to continue to serve the community.

Donate Here to provide Covid-19 Support

Charity Feature: 

English Language Partners provide online support for former refugees and migrants 

Nationally, English Language Partners have had over 280 online language groups meeting and in the weeks since lock down learners from across New Zealand have attended over 28,000 hours of online classes.

Learning hasn’t stopped at English Language Partners – Many of these learners have very limited English and few contacts in the wider community to turn to in a time like this. For some learners this is their first opportunity to engage with technology in English. We are even hearing of people ‘bringing a friend’ to class which means we are reaching new people that would otherwise be isolated

Click here to DONATE to English Language partners

English Language Partners
Operating for over 40 years, English Language Partners is a national community-based charity that delivers English language lessons and enables effective settlement. Our vision is that former refugees and migrants participate successfully in all aspects of life in Aotearoa New Zealand.

We would like to thank The Tindall Foundation 
For providing financial relief to English Language Partners via the COVID-19 Quick Response Fund, managed by United Way NZ. This donation has provided an initial donation to English Language Partners in Canterbury, Otago and Southland.  

Charity Feature:

Drug-Arm Christchurch are on the frontline with other community organisations helping homeless people in the Canterbury region. We thank them for the work they are doing for the vulnerable and marginalised.

Drug-Arms mission is...

We believe everyone has a purpose, hope and a future.

We want to help them find or reconnect with this and overcome things that get in the way

We thank this community charity and many other charities who provide this must needed support in our communities. 

DONATE HERE TO SUPPORT

Thank you to The Tindall Foundation for donating to the COVID-19 Quick Response Fund. This has allowed us to distribute $125,000 to the following community charities in need of Financial assistance due to the COVID-19 Outbreak. 

29 Charities have been helped through this fund to date: 

1. Life to the Max in Whanganui - Support for young people and families in need.
2. Te Ora Hou Whanganui - Youth and family support.
3. Birthright Whanganui - Supporting single parent families in need.
4. Wai Ora Christian Community Trust in Whanganui - Providing food, shelter and essentials to families and have opened their orchard to those in need.
5. Manawatu Rural Support Services - Supporting families in the rural community who are dealing with a drought as well as COVID-19.
6. Housing Advice Centre in Manawatu - Working right across the community to help individuals and families with a housing needs.
7. Just Zilch - Manawatu Food Rescue, working with local food banks during level 4 and supporting homeless people.
8. Palmerston North Neighbourhood Support - Connecting neighbours and people in the community who are: both lonely and frightened, supporting elderly parents, disabled or vulnerable family members (mental health issues), have cancer & needing medication and people needing food and essentials.
9. Waimate Link in South Canterbury - Connecting families and people and taking Calls for Civil Defence Communitylinkwaimate.org.nz.
10. Fale Pasifika o Aoraki in South Canterbury - Providing support packages and information to the local Pacific Island community – classed as an essential service presently and working from Community House. Looking after over 200 families with food packages.
11. Centrecare Counselling Waimate - Providing Counselling to families and people, who are in need of mental health and well-being support.
12. Drug Arm Canterbury Working with community organisations to help the Homeless, vulnerable and marginalised.
13. English Language Partners Canterbury - Supporting new immigrant and refugee families. Running online classes and providing phone support for families and home-based learners. They currently have 91 learners online which has increased from 49 within a week.
14. Foodbank Canterbury - As an essential service organisation who are providing food to families and community organisations.
15. The Hope Community Trust Canterbury - Providing a food bank and have Counselors providing support online services.
16. Canterbury Mens Centre - Supporting men in Canterbury and their family relationships.
17. Birthright Canterbury Trust - Supporting single parent families and their children. Families who are already isolated having no family supports and many rely on Birthright workers for support.
18. English Language partners Otago - Helping refugee and new immigrants navigate through COVID-19. In Dunedin ELP now has 128 learners online, which was 86 in the previous week.
19. KiwiHarvest Otago - Helping distribute food to families and community groups. Donations go to fuel costs and vehicle costs which have risen due to the increase in demand.
20. Pregnancy Help Dunedin - Providing practical support to families and their babies by sending packages out via courier.
21. Youthline Otago - Helpline and community connection with youth.
22. Corstorphine Community Hub in Otago - Running a Food share - 24 families (with 104 in total), adults and children receiving help. Working with Kiwiharvest for supplies for low-income families.
23. Garden to Table Dunedin - Helping children and families with online resources for cooking and growing food and support co-ordinators helping with community connections.
24. Volunteering Otago Trust - Working with Civil Defense to provide services for families and communities in need.
25. Southland Youth One Stop Shop - Providing social services remotely by phone & online with youth coaches, transition coaches, and case manager working from home.
26. Able Charitable Trust (Southern Family Support) - An essential service that covers all of Southland. Very busy during lockdown. Preparing/delivering food parcels, creating pod casts for mental well being, remote counselling, etc.
27. Tuatapere Community Worker Support Trust - Arranging shopping, food parcels. High level of volunteer assistance.
28. Youthline Southland - Helpline and community connection with youth.
29. English Language Partners Southland - Helping refugee and new immigrants navigate through COVID-19. In Southland ELP now 43 online learners, which was 18 the previous week.

Still the need within our community continues,

DONATE to this fund so we can help further charities applying for assistance

Media release: Survey shows frontline charities battling double-edged sword due to Covid-19

Research, by Catalytic Foundation (formerly United Way NZ), shows Kiwi charities are under increasing pressure, managing a surge in demand with fewer resources during the Covid-19 lockdown. The study, which surveyed 200 charities across New Zealand, found 95% have been directly affected by Covid-19. More than 74% require additional funding, 41% additional staff and volunteers and 27% additional resources, to continue to provide New Zealanders in need with the same support available prior to the pandemic.

“Charities are facing the same challenges as businesses with reduced cashflow, fundraising avenues such as op shops and events unable to run and staff working from home. But at the same time demand for their services is growing,” says Catalytic Foundation CEO, Teresa Moore.

While all charities are responding to the need to do more with less, small to medium frontline charities without the cash reserves or larger funding base of larger counterparts are feeling the pinch more keenly.

 “Charities are a first port-of-call for those who are struggling, whether with mental health, disabilities, economic hardship or issues such as family violence, says Moore.

“Charities in all parts of New Zealand are telling us that, in addition to Covid-19 putting more pressure on those already in need, they are also supporting a growing number of people who would not usually require their help.”

 Moore says there is a lot New Zealanders can do to help local frontline charities weather Covid-19.

“If you are still employed, any money you can spare would make a huge difference to your local charities. You could also contact your employer to find out whether they have a payroll giving scheme in place.

“And if you have time on your hands during lockdown, ask if you can give your local charity a hand. Everything from staffing the telephone to professional services such as legal and accounting support is required.

“Covid-19 is challenging all of us, however, many disabled, elderly, mentally ill and economically disadvantaged New Zealanders are paying a particularly high price.

“New Zealand’s charities are the frontline responders in times of need and now, more than ever they could do with a hand,” says Moore.

Ways to support local charities

1. Donate 
2. Ask your employer about payroll giving
3. Volunteer while you have some extra time on your hands.

Media contact:

Teresa Moore
CEO - Catalytic Foundation 

Charity Feature: 

The Covid–19 pandemic is having a dramatic and negative effect on the young people we support at Youth in Transition, some of whom are in desperate situations.

Youth in Transition in Rodney are supporting 180 vulnerable young people who can be experiencing a sense of alienation and loneliness and currently they are not able to come to the office which is often their “Safe Space” or have physical contact, face to face counselling or attend peer support groups has added hugely to their anxiety, putting them even more at risk.

Financial implications – Several of our young people are unable to pay rent or have food. Landlords are threatening to evict these young people. It is proving really difficult to get assistance from WINZ as they are overloaded and are only offering a limited service, the foodbanks we usually go to are also completely overstretched.

Youth In Transition. They are a charitable trust that is dedicated to helping young people find a life worth living. Offering high-quality affordable counseling to the community, this charity has already helped hundreds of young people aged 10-24 and their families.

Youth in Transition is a group of skilled, dedicated and passionate people committed to supporting any young person, their family and close friends, on that journey – for however long it may take.

Please donate here 

The Otago Polytechnic charity house auction raised $110,000 for community charities in the Otago region.  United Way NZ will distribute this money early in 2019 to charities who have recently applied for funding in the region.  We are very thankful to the students, tutors, Otago Polytechnic, sponsors/businesses and everyone involved.

Special congratulations go to the lucky family who bought this magnificent 3 bedroom house. We hope you enjoy your new home. 

United Way New Zealand would like to thank Otago Polytechnic and Dunedin City Council for hosting the 2018 United Way Otago Community Awards. United Way awarded grants to 30 deserving charities and community organisations who do a lot of work for the Otago Community.

United Way would like to thank: The Tindall Foundation, Otago Polytechnic Charity House project, Mercy Hospital, Otago businesses, payroll givers and individual donors for their generous donations. This funding creates the 'collective impact' for our grant allocations. 

Photos thanks to Marelda O'Rourke-Gallaher