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Homes of Hope Provides Stability for Children Amidst COVID-19

During lockdown, many families adjusted to new routines with children home full-time. Multi-tasking took on a new meaning, the work-life balance was thrown off-kilter, and the extra family time was cherished. But for the 6000+ Kiwi kids in foster care who have already had their life uprooted, the lockdown’s rules brought new fears to the forefront, wondering where they would go next and when they could see their families again. In foster care due to serious neglect and/or abuse, often se...

Stroke Foundation

Unable to walk or use his left side, Garry Hamnett’s stroke left him with difficult challenges to face. While at a friend’s house for dinner, Garry’s face started to droop and his arm became limp. Luckily his friend knew the signs of a stroke and immediately called for an ambulance. Garry was taken straight to Tauranga Hospital where he received urgent care. When Garry came around, he found himself in the acute stroke ward after being unconscious for five days. It was during this time tha...

Support Vital for Vulnerable Cancer Patients During COVID-19

“Cancer doesn’t stop for COVID-19, and neither have we,” says Shelley Campbell, Chief Executive of the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Cancer Society. The charity continued to operate through the lockdown, supporting hundreds of Kiwis with cancer. Shelley says the society’s support is more important than ever, with COVID-19 adding an extra element of stress for people impacted by cancer. “COVID-19 has affected all New Zealanders, but it’s been particularly relevant to us here at the Cancer Soc...

Awhina House Helps Homeless Women Through Alert Levels

It’s a house like any other in our neighbourhoods. There are beds providing the comfort of sleep, a kitchen full of home-cooked meals made with love, a garden tended to by green-fingered hands, and the chatter of family sharing goals for the future. The only difference is this household, and family, is made up of women who all share one thing in common; they are homeless. They now live at Awhina House—a shelter that nurtures, advocates for and supports the homeless women in Tauranga. Th...

Nepalese Association in BOP Gives Gift of Groceries for Newcomers

For Devendra (name changed), moving from Nepal to New Zealand was a big life decision. He arrived in February and had just started studying at Toi Ohomai when the lockdown was announced. While he was fortunate enough to find some other Nepalese students to share a flat with, with no job secured, this new challenge put him in a critical position. Struggling to pay for his accommodation and food, he reached out to the Nepalese Association in BOP—a non-profit group representing the Nepali co...

Katikati Christian Foodbank Says Peak Demand Soon to Come

While there has been a steady need for food parcels since the lockdown, the Katikati Foodbank believes peak demand will come once the wage subsidy is exhausted and the true financial impact is felt within the community. Katikati Christian Foodbank Communications Representative Pam Todd says concerns are being heard across the community, with many in Katikati facing the prospect of job losses, and high anxiety around putting food on the table for their family. “Many of those receiving food parc...

Community Groups Get Boost from Rapid Response Funding

From PPE equipment keeping a community centre running, and support for those with a learning disability, to the broadcasting of COVID-19 information for the Deaf community; there is need in every corner of our region. To help meet these needs, local funders TECT, Acorn Foundation, BayTrust and Tauranga City Council, have approved a further $39,276 in funding for twelve community groups in the Western Bay of Plenty. This brings the total funding approved through the Rapid Response Fund to $219,25...

Salvation Army Supports People Across the Community

Enquiries to The Salvation Army in Tauranga have doubled compared to last year, with over 260 requests for help since the end of March, meeting the needs of over 600 people. Providing support in the form of social work, food, clothing, furniture and non-food essential items, The Salvation Army has also been helping families across the Western Bay experience some sense of normality in these strange times. Whether delivering Easter eggs and activity packs to whanau with young children, providing ...

STEMFest

Families from around the country and the Western Bay flocked to Durham Street in Tauranga to share in wonder, amazement, curiosity and discovery, as STEMFest took over the city for a day full of exciting experiments and engaging hands-on learning. The world class festival was designed to engage and inspire a new generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians. And it did just that. A Fun-Filled Day for the Family With exhibitors from industry leaders such as Nanogirl Labs, ...

New Phones for Te Puna Hauora Ki Uta Ki Tai Alleviate Isolation

For mental health providers supporting our community through lockdown, having access to a phone is vital. Having access to a smartphone, however, opens up a whole new way to connect. Community mental health provider Te Puna Hauora Ki Uta Ki Tai knows just how valuable a simple upgrade in phones is for not only its team, but its hundreds of clients seeking help. Recent funding received through the Rapid Response Fund has allowed the not-for-profit organisation to purchase 18 smartphones—one...

Alzheimer's Tauranga

It has been a time of many unknowns. The significant change we have all experienced has seen us adapt and come together as a nation to slow the spread of COVID-19. The potential escalation and uncertainty we faced as we headed into lockdown can serve as a small lens into the life of a family affected by dementia. The condition is unexpected, its progression and effects on a person are uncertain, and much of existing day to day life and routines can be challenged. Alzheimer’s Tauranga has been ...

Mockingbird

Imagine living in a world where you feel isolated; people don’t always understand you, it can be difficult to focus, and at times everything can seem overwhelming. Living with neurodiversity can be a daily struggle. For teenager Sophia Mudgway, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it was affecting her schooling and socialising was difficult.    “It seemed like there was no hope or light at the end of the tunnel,” says Sophia’s mother, Nicola. Now, the 13-year-old is happier,...

Brave Hearts

It is a dark underbelly many of us don’t see. One we imagine we never will. But addiction is a reality that can creep into any one of our lives when it takes hold of our loved ones. From stealing and lying, to aggression and depression, the devastation wrought by addiction does not end at one person. It ripples through the lives of mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends, and it’s a hard role to be in. Erin O’Neill knows that reality well. When her son was a teenager, he became a...

Tauranga Community Foodbank Sees Surge in New Clients

A third of people Tauranga Community Foodbank has helped in the last month have never used their service before. From those self-employed now unable to earn, to stranded international seasonal workers, and elderly unable to access food with no family support, the local charity is ensuring no one in our community goes hungry. It is something Tauranga Community Foodbank Manager Nicki Goodwin says requires wrap-around support. “As well as providing food, we need to ensure we give time to support ...

$103,000 in Funding Approved Through Rapid Response Fund

Over $103,000 in funding was approved last week through the Rapid Response Fund, supporting nine community groups facing increased demand as a result of COVID-19. This second round of funding supported a wide range of community groups, from food support and shelter for the homeless, to foster care services and health care providers. The groups include Awhina House, Homes of Hope, Open Home Foundation, Te Tuinga Whanau Support, Nga Kakano Foundation, Pacific Island Community Trust, Good Neighbour...

Street Kai Show Kindness to Homeless Through Lockdown

It's a family gathering every Monday night; sharing food, a cuppa, conversations, and kindness. But this family gathering is a little larger than most. 'Milo Night', as it's known, brings 150 people in our community together at the Willow Street bus stop each week, to be greeted by the warm welcome of Street Kai—a charity feeding the homeless. And it's not just food. Supplying toiletries, clothing, dog food, haircuts or even a chat with a medic, they care for those in need in our community...

Changing Face of Healthcare Supported by Community Good

In our bubbles, we have been keeping safe. Essential health care service providers are ensuring those bubbles aren't too disrupted, taking extra precautions while caring for those in need. For Pirirakau Hauora, a hapū-based Māori health provider, amongst all the changes and precautions taken, one thing holding strong is the whanau connection. Delivering a range of health and wellbeing services to the hapū of Pirirakau and people of Te Puna and surroundi...

Help Still Available for Victims of Family Violence During Lockdown

While the rate of infections slows, hidden victims of the lockdown grow—those living with family violence. Trapped in homes with their abusers, they are isolated from their friends and extended family, and may experience violence happening more often, more severely or taking different forms. The lockdown has seen an increase in new referrals to Tauranga Living Without Violence, an agency whose primary focus is the safety and wellbeing of women and children. Their team have been working rem...

Funding from Rapid Response Fund a Welcome Relief for Community Groups

A new fund established by local funders has paid out its first round of grants this week, supporting community groups who are experiencing increased demand and/or funding shortfall as a result of COVID-19. The twelve community groups have received a total of $76,869 in funding from the Rapid Response Fund, established by TECT, Acorn Foundation, BayTrust and Tauranga City Council. The community groups supported include Tauranga Living Without Violence, Street Kai, Tauranga Community Foodbank, Emp...

TECT Rescue Helicopter Adapting to Protect Community During Lockdown

The streets may be quieter, the bike tracks empty, and the parks abandoned. But unfortunately, accidents still happen. From rolled cars, to serious medical events, one charity working through the COVID-19 lockdown to ensure we can all get to the hospital quickly and safely is the TECT Rescue Helicopter. While the service is still fully operational, new precautionary measures are being taken to protect the safety and wellbeing of our local crew and their patients. The Intensive Care Paramedics n...

Western Bay of Plenty Funders Collaborate for Rapid Response COVID-19 Fund

Funders in the Western Bay of Plenty have come together to establish a new Rapid Response Fund to support community groups who are experiencing increased demand and/or funding shortfall as a result of COVID-19. The funders, who have committed to pool from their current granting reserves a total of $600,000 in funding, include TECT, BayTrust, Acorn Foundation and Tauranga City Council. “Through this funding we will support those community groups protecting and caring for the most vulnerable i...

Tauranga Arts Festival

Whether you wanted to be wowed by aerial acrobatics, watch a laugh-out-loud funny play, or have your heart strings pulled by beautiful singing performance, with music, theatre, workshops and so much more, there was something for everyone at the Tauranga Arts Festival in 2019. The Tauranga Arts Festival is well established in the Tauranga Moana community, providing experiences that expand minds, delight audiences and touch all corners of the community since 1999 with the Festival happen...

Te Puna Community Kindergarten

Kindergartens are a place to learn, grow and play; providing children with the opportunity to practice essential social, emotional, and problem-solving skills that will be used throughout their life. For children at Te Puna Kindergarten, a brand-new facility will set the stage for a life-long love of learning thanks to its purpose-built design. Funding for New Facility After a major road transport development planned for the Tauranga Northern Link expressway to be built through their old site...

Scholarships Awarded to University of Waikato Tauranga Campus Students

Over twenty University of Waikato Tauranga campus students gathered last night to celebrate receiving scholarships generously donated by the Tauranga Tertiary Campus Charitable Trust (TTCCT) and Acorn Foundation. Key funders of the campus development, Tauranga City Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and TECT supported the Tauranga Tertiary Campus Charitable Trust to fund three scholarships ranging in value from $1,000 to $23,000 per year, for twenty students to study at the University of Wa...

The Elms

The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga is a place like no other, where you can step back in time and learn about the rich history and significance of its buildings and gardens. The heritage site, known originally as Otamataha pā, was the landing place of ancestral waka and home to a thriving Māori community. In the 1830s, it became a place of contact between Māori and Pākehā as missionaries expanded their work in the Bay of Plenty. The beautiful Georgian house was built on the site in 1847 for Reveren...