Every year, throughout Aotearoa, Visionwest and other organisations run events to provide gifts and food for Kiwis who would otherwise miss out on the sort of Christmas Day many of us take for granted. At Visionwest, we call our event Christmas From The Heart. But how important are events like these for the people who are supported by them?

Brook Turner talks about Visionwest’s Christmas From The Heart event and how these events are transformational for their participants.

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Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga, New Zealand
Building Hope Together | Kia Tūmanakotia

Visionwest exists to address homelessness, reduce poverty, support the elderly and those with disabilities, and ensure young people have hope for the future.
We believe that, by walking alongside whānau through the tougher moments of their lives, those whānau can experience the hope that inspires life transformation.

www.visionwest.org.nz

What do you think of when you hear the word “joy?” A newborn child, fun times spent with friends, freedom or happiness. Joy is a word that is also often associated with Christmas. It’s on Christmas cards and wrapping paper, in Christmas carols and Christmas movie titles. However, for many people Christmas is not a time of joy. 

In this podcast, Brook Turner talks about the challenge some people face when searching for joy at Christmas time and how Visionwest’s Christmas From The Heart event responds to that challenge.

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Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga, New Zealand
Building Hope Together | Kia Tūmanakotia

Visionwest exists to address homelessness, reduce poverty, support the elderly and those with disabilities, and ensure young people have hope for the future.
We believe that, by walking alongside whānau through the tougher moments of their lives, those whānau can experience the hope that inspires life transformation.

www.visionwest.org.nz

It’s estimated around 15-20% of our population are impacted by food insecurity. Rates of food insecurity are much higher amongst Māori and Pasifika peoples, and those with disabilities or living in low-income households. Low-income households with children report they run out of food “often or sometimes” due to unaffordability. 

Following World Food Day (16 October), Brook Turner talks about food insecurity in Aotearoa New Zealand and Visionwest’s response.

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Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga, New Zealand
Building Hope Together | Kia Tūmanakotia

Visionwest exists to address homelessness, reduce poverty, support the elderly and those with disabilities, and ensure young people have hope for the future.
We believe that, by walking alongside whānau through the tougher moments of their lives, those whānau can experience the hope that inspires life transformation.

www.visionwest.org.nz

The issue of poverty amongst the elderly in our communities is growing rapidly. By 2028, the number of people 65 and over will reach one million. At present, 300,000 retirees are renters. By 2058, half of all retirees will be renting. This, coupled with the rising cost of living, is already having a severe impact on the living standards of many older New Zealanders. Brook talks about the issue of elder poverty today and in the years to come.

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Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga, New Zealand
Building Hope Together | Kia Tūmanakotia

Visionwest exists to address homelessness, reduce poverty, support the elderly and those with disabilities, and ensure young people have hope for the future.
We believe that, by walking alongside whānau through the tougher moments of their lives, those whānau can experience the hope that inspires life transformation.

www.visionwest.org.nz

In the same week as a petition calling for a strategy and proactive action to address and work towards ending youth homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand was presented to Parliament, Brook talks about the ramifications of young people being without safe and dry housing; and shares the inspirational story of an amazing young wahine who is a part of Visionwest’s Whare Hiwa programme.

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Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga, New Zealand
Building Hope Together | Kia Tūmanakotia

Visionwest exists to address homelessness, reduce poverty, support the elderly and those with disabilities, and ensure young people have hope for the future.
We believe that, by walking alongside whānau through the tougher moments of their lives, those whānau can experience the hope that inspires life transformation.

www.visionwest.org.nz

Brook speaks about “winter pain points” and how, for many New Zealanders, life becomes a lot tougher in winter, largely due to increased home expenses. This means many whānau must make difficult choices such as, “Do I heat my home, or do I buy food for my children?” or “Do I buy my children new winter coats because, if I do, I can’t pay my rent this week?” 

Included is a real life example of a whānau who are in fulltime employment but must still make these sorts of decisions.

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Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga, New Zealand
Building Hope Together | Kia Tūmanakotia

Visionwest exists to address homelessness, reduce poverty, support the elderly and those with disabilities, and ensure young people have hope for the future.
We believe that, by walking alongside whānau through the tougher moments of their lives, those whānau can experience the hope that inspires life transformation.

www.visionwest.org.nz

Brook Turner, Visionwest’s Head of Service Development and Partnerships, speaks on Rhema about the challenges many youth in Aotearoa New Zealand face when looking to step away from housing insecurity or homelessness and Visionwest’s response to youth housing. 

Brook has a master’s degree in Applied Practice (Social Practice). His thesis investigates homelessness amongst rangatahi (young people) while examining possible answers to what is a serious issue in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga, New Zealand
Building Hope Together | Kia Tūmanakotia

Visionwest exists to address homelessness, reduce poverty, support the elderly and those with disabilities, and ensure young people have hope for the future.
We believe that, by walking alongside whānau through the tougher moments of their lives, those whānau can experience the hope that inspires life transformation.

www.visionwest.org.nz

Brook Turner, Head of Service Development and Partnerships at Visionwest talks to Di and Tom about the challenges of doing transformational work in the current climate, when the need is continually increasing.   

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Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga, New Zealand
Building Hope Together | Kia Tūmanakotia

Visionwest exists to address homelessness, reduce poverty, support the elderly and those with disabilities, and ensure young people have hope for the future.
We believe that, by walking alongside whānau through the tougher moments of their lives, those whānau can experience the hope that inspires life transformation.

www.visionwest.org.nz