Auckland Charities are the backbone of our communities, especially when crisis strikes.

The Catalytic Foundation Community Fund provides financial assistance for community charities providing support services. We would like to thank the many regional donors and workplace givers, for their continued support of this community fund in Auckland. The Community Charites who are being supported this year are:

• Mangere Budgeting Services
• Kelmarna Community Garden
• Woven Earth
• Love Soup (Rodney)

This collective fund makes a real difference to the Charities, doing necessary community work, for optimal social impact, in Auckland.

The 2020 Christmas Shoebox Project distributed 880 presents to children who would of otherwise gone without. We would like to thank the following organisations for helping us reach out to families in need. 

• Bluelight (Otahuhu)
• Luke St Transitional Housing (Andrea Sikuea)
• Te Roopu O Te Whanau  Rangimarie O Tamaki Makaurau
• Victim Support
• Island Child Charitable Trust NZ
• North Shore Police
• Woven Earth
• Parent group at Corbans
• Waikato Women's Refuge
• Manukau Budgeting services
• North Shore Women's centre
• Kindred Services (Formerly Helensville women's centre)
• Women's Rufuge (Rodney)
• De Paul House (Northcote and Rodney)
• Shine

Photo: Curtesy of the wonderful team at Xero who donated gifts for the Christmas Shoebox Project

Thank you Dell Technologies NZ for donating laptops for our community charities: 
Shore Junction received 6 laptops to support their youth innovation hub, in Auckland.
This will help provide computers for programming and to support innovation, learning and creativity

Several frontline community charities the length of New Zealand are supporting a greater number of New Zealanders manage the effects of Covid-19 thanks to the ingenuity and community spirit of Shimano New Zealand Ltd.

When United Way New Zealand launched our #Unite20 campaign in April to get emergency funding directly to community charities managing a surge in demand for services alongside a reduction in funding channels, Shimano New Zealand stepped up with an exciting proposal. In the spirit of Kiwi mateship and ingenuity, the team decided to donate 5% of all sales across the country during May and June to the #Unite20 Appeal. Just like that, Shimano’s Support your Local initiative was quickly launched.

United Way New Zealand CEO, Teresa Moore says Support Your Local represented everything United Way New Zealand stands for.

“United Way New Zealand’s vision is to provide every New Zealander with the ability to support their community, whether through volunteering, regular payroll giving or one-off donations. By designing a giving initiative including its national customer and stakeholder community, Shimano truly brought our vision to life.”

Shimano New Zealand Marketing Manager, Yvette Johnson, said the team was inspired by United Way New Zealand’s #Unite20 campaign as it directed funding quickly into many frontline community charities across the country.

“We’re a business which operates in communities of all sizes across New Zealand. We were pleased to find a partner with a firm track record in the community sector, which could get funding to the smaller charities working in communities all over the country.”

Shimano’s funding has been distributed to charities and not-for-profits supporting struggling New Zealanders from Kaitaia to Dunedin.

“Our research showed that 98% of New Zealand charities and not-for-profits have been affected by Covid-19. Thanks to the generosity of both individuals and corporate partners such as Shimano, we have raised over $240,000 which is enabling community charities all across the country to continue their critical work at a time when our communities need them the most,”

“Small actions when combined together result in very significant impacts,” says Moore.

The United Way New Zealand #Unite 20 Appeal has been extended until November. If you’d like to join those helping community charities support New Zealanders doing it tough, you can read about the charities and donate here.

The Catalytic Foundation is proud to be working with youth charities such as the Crescendo Trust of Aotearoa. This Auckland music trust is a visionary, unique and professional social enterprise that grows young people between the ages of 12-24 across various satellite hubs across Auckland. They provide services such as sound production, band and music groups and other creative areas. 

As a social enterprise, Crescendo works to provide opportunities for young people in Aotearoa through a range of commercial services. They generate income through gigs, event management, video and sound production, and integrate this into their programmes. Not only does this provide Crescendo with revenue, but also real-life work experience and income opportunities for their rangatahi.
 

-EMPOWERING RANGATAHI TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS-

3M joined forces with us to help community charities and support services across New Zealand experiencing increased demand for their services due to Covid-19. On behalf of 3M, we distributed NZ$89,975 (US$59,000) in emergency funding to 16 community charities across New Zealand which are on the frontlines of supporting New Zealanders with the effects of the global pandemic.A total of 98% of community frontline charities have been directly affected by Covid-19 according to research conducted in April  by Catalytic Foundations (Formerly United Way NZ), managing a surge in demand alongside reduced sources of income. Chief Executive, Teresa Moore said small to medium community charities are acutely affected as they are the first port-of-call for those in need and do not have in-house marketing or fundraising resources.

“While there’s no doubt that Covid-19 is impacting everyone; young people, the elderly and those living with mental health challenges, economic hardship and family violence are disproportionately affected, says Moore. 

“Thanks to 3M we were able to get funding straight to those charities on the frontlines, so they could help those most affected by Covid-19,” said Moore.

Community charities are also being approached by increasing numbers of people who have not needed support before. Food banks across the country have reported daily demand increasing more than 20 times. A charity supporting the elderly received over 1200 calls in three days as shopping for groceries online became necessary, and mental health charities, particularly those supporting youth require funding to bring in additional counsellors to support a growing number of young New Zealanders in crisis.

Charities are expecting demand to continue to grow for another three to six months, and not drop for quite some time. Many are bracing for the wage subsidy scheme which is coming to an end next month.

“Since the outbreak began, 3M has addressed the COVID-19 pandemic from all angles and across all stakeholders, and this includes supporting our community partners around the world,” said Chris LeBlanc, Managing Director, 3M Australia and New Zealand. “It’s important that 3M holds true to its core values during this pandemic by supporting our communities and improving lives. Throughout this global crisis, we will continue to look for ways to help in the fight against COVID-19.”

The Catalytic Foundation (formerly United Way NZ) works alongside donor organisations such as 3M to maximise the impact of their CSR by designing and executing bespoke workplace giving and volunteering programmes which align with that organisation’s people, values and the communities they work within.

"It's rewarding to know our funding is going to where it is needed most," said LeBlanc.

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

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

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