Jody* is too unwell and vulnerable to work but in order to access the government support she needs, she had to complete an online application form. For Jody this was a major barrier. She doesn’t own a computer and has no idea what an online form...
At Visionwest we understand that most people in need require more than just one service. The challenge is to determine the specific type of support required and to deliver it in a way that builds hope and trust. The Matapuna Whānau Centre is the...
In March 2018, there were at least 41,600 people experiencing severe housing deprivation in New Zealand* and housing agencies suggest this figure is now much higher. Visionwest Community Housing receives calls from people like Hola every day. As...
If not for your support, Matt* reckons he would be in a gang or living on the streets. Matt’s childhood was spent shuffling between separated parents and being in care. A failure to connect at school and becoming a father while still in his late...
Lisa Woolley, CEO of VisionWest Community Trust responded to the budget by saying, “We are pleased to see the Government’s response for those most in need in our community at this time, many of whom have never before experienced such financial and...
The Pātaka Kai Lockdown Challenge: Over 3,000 Food Parcels As New Zealand moved into lockdown on Wednesday March 25, the immediate challenge for the Pātaka Kai was how to distribute parcels to whānau in need of food, at a time when that need...
E ngā matawaka me ngā whānau ki VisionWest puta noa, nau mai, haere mai ki tēnei whakairinga rangitaki ko Te Tiriti o Waitangi ara me ētahi atu Kaupapa Māori kōrero hoki ka whai ake nei! To all our tribes, clans (go the Scots), other ethnic groups...
The Whanau Centre at VisionWest is the natural outcome of realising two key ideas. One was that the majority of clients being seen by VisionWest staff were either Maori or Pasifika, and it therefore made sense to provide an overarching environment...
“The dream that’s driving VisionWest is the same as it’s always been – it was birthed out of a desire by a church to respond to the real needs in their community. That’s what drove us to set up our very first enterprise all those years ago – a...
In late 2014, VisionWest embarked upon a journey to better understand what it is to truly partner with our tangata whenua - our people of the land. From the Board Chair, to the CEO to our On-the-Ground service providers, we asked the question of...