Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga story
Creating pathways for vulnerable whānau to rise out of poverty, isolation, homelessness, and joblessness by providing comprehensive wraparound services.
Our team supports children, young people, families, people with disabilities and the elderly with an unwavering hope for a better tomorrow.
Our name is
Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga
The Waka is about a journey together. One that acknowledges our past and looks forward to the future. Whakakitenga speaks about God-given insight; the importance of a developing vision that is larger than any of us but includes all of us. Together Waka Whakakitenga reminds us that we are a team of faith-led people on a mission to bring hope and transformation.
Our vision is
Transformed Lives, Healthy Communities – He Oranga Tangata, He Oranga Hapori
We journey alongside individuals and families and are active in the transformation work that enriches their lives; work which ultimately leads to healthier and more connected communities.
Our mission is
Building Hope Together – Kia Tūmanakotia
Based on the word, tūmanakotia – to hope for or to desire – Kia Tūmanakotia conveys the reality that Building Hope Together is an ongoing action that results in changed lives.
Our values define how we treat those we support and walk alongside
Aroha
We are compassionate, empathetic and loving in our actions.
Mana
We uphold and respect the dignity and unique identity of each individual.
Manaakitanga
We demonstrate kindness, hospitality and generosity to all.
Whanaungatanga
We are committed to creating authentic relationships, connections and a place of belonging.
Our logo is a koru
Our koru holds our story – the story of Visionwest Waka Whakakitenga – our vision, our values, and our journey towards community transformation. Its imagery reminds us of our ever-present faith-led foundations, our Kaupapa Māori journey and our service pathways which help to shape who we are.
Kaupapa Māori
Since the establishment of Visionwest, a significant proportion of those seeking support have been whānau Māori. With this in mind, we have sought to understand and work towards developing a Kaupapa Māori framework, “Pou Whakakitenga” to guide the delivery of all support services. It’s a relational framework focused on enhancing the wellbeing outcomes for Māori while remaining applicable for all ethnicities.
Our Kaupapa Māori framework consist of four key pou (posts):
Wairua (Spiritual).
Hauora (Health/Wellness).
Mātauranga (Indigenous Knowledge).
Tikanga (Traditional Customs and Processes).
While seeking to embed Kaupapa Māori principles in the way all Visionwest services are delivered, we also have services that are specifically Kaupapa Māori, delivered by Māori and for Māori.
We are faith-led
Visionwest was founded by the Glen Eden Baptist Church (GEBC) and today the church and Trust remain steadfast in our efforts to work together in the community. Since our early beginnings, each act of service has been informed by the faith ethic that underpins all we do. A faith personified by the commitment to love and serve those in greatest need. Further to this, we believe that each compassionate act is a demonstration of God’s aroha and rangimarie.
Where we’ve come from
Throughout our history, two attitudes have provided a foundation to the work of the Trust – a willingness to innovate and grow to meet emerging needs, and a steadfast commitment to upholding the mana of every individual we support and employ. It’s these attitudes that continue to steer the Trust and propel it forward as we build hope together in the communities we serve.
We want to give a big shout-out to One New Zealand who run the One Good Kiwi website. This month, One Good Kiwi turned two years old!
That means, for two years, One New Zealand has been supporting youth organisations across Aotearoa, including Visionwest.
We want to say a big thanks for this awesome generosity. With the money given to Visionwest, we’ve been able to provide homes for rangatahi (young people) who were previously homeless or in unsafe housing situations.
Thanks One Good Kiwi and thanks One New Zealand.
Read more about the One Good Kiwi story here - media.one.nz/ogk2years.
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If you haven’t downloaded the app yet get it today on the App Store here: shorturl.at/gbWug, or Google Play here: shorturl.at/5ARe7, so you can be a part of something epic and help choose where the next $100k will go (In October, you can give your tokens to the youth work at for Visionwest).
#visionwest #onegoodkiwi @OneNewZealand
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WORLD HOMELESS DAY
Today is World Homeless Day.
Stats NZ defines the state of homelessness as a living situation where people, with no other options to acquire safe and secure housing, are:
Without shelter – for example, sleeping rough or living in a car.
Living in temporary or emergency accommodation – such as night shelters, refuges, hotels/motels, motor camp sites and boarding houses.
Living in uninhabitable housing, such as dilapidated dwellings or those not intended for human habitation, like garages.
Analysis of the most recent Census found that 18,417 Aucklanders and over 41,000 Kiwis meet this definition.
Find out more about how you can help, including how you can provide bedding for someone who is experiencing homelessness – www.visionwest.org.nz/donate.
#visionwest #housingfirst #worldhomelessday2024
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WORLD HOMELESS DAY
Tomorrow, Thursday 10 October, is World Homeless Day.
Visionwest is a foundation member of the Auckland Housing First Collective. A five-year research study by University of Otago into the impacts of the Housing First programme delivered by The People's Project (TPP) in Hamilton was released in May 2024 and found:
· 44% drop in hospitalisations.
· 74% drop in residential mental health bed-nights.
· 43% drop in criminal charges.
· A rise in income from both benefits and paid work.
Decent housing makes a difference and transforms both lives and communities.
#visionwest #housingfirst #worldhomelessday2024
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According to Stats NZ, the youth unemployment rate in Aotearoa New Zealand currently sits at 20.7% (for 15 to 19-year-olds) – we want to do something about it, and YOU can help, it will cost you nothing.
Help us gain a share of $100,000 and we’ll use it to support young people out of unemployment and journey with them along the pathway to a brighter future.
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Apple users can download the free app here onegoodkiwi.nz/ios.
Android users can download the free app here onegoodkiwi.nz/android.
Or you can go online at www.onegoodkiwi.nz
You only get so many tokens to toss our way so please share this with your friends and whānau.
Thanks to One New Zealand .
#visionwest #onenz #onegoodkiwi #youthemployment #ohingatu
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This Thursday 10 October is WORLD HOMELESS DAY – a day that reminds us that housing is foundational to a healthy society and yet, according to the latest statistics, it’s estimated that, in Aotearoa New Zealand, 41,600 people are homeless – that equivalent to one in every 125 New Zealanders.
Visionwest Community Housing works to address homelessness in Aotearoa New Zealand and support people like John whose life was transformed when he was provided with housing by Visionwest Community Housing.
Read John’s full story – visionwest.org.nz/john-story/.
#visionwest #housingfirst #worldhomelessday2024
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