It takes a community to help a community
The Auckland Anniversary Weekend (27 January 2023) weather flood event was unlike any before it. The storm’s ferocity and the volume of rainfall took the city by surprise and had a devastating impact on Te Uru o Tāmaki Makaurau West Auckland and other parts of the city. Two weeks later, Cyclone Gabrielle hit bringing more devastation. The result for many whānau was the loss of accommodation and household possessions followed by challenges relating to mental health, personal finances, and food insecurity.
An immediate flood response
Visionwest Flood and Cyclone Report
Visionwest responded – a distinctive feature of this flood response being the speed with which we were able to react to the needs of those affected.
The ability to mobilise so quickly lies in the simple reality that responding to the needs of people who are vulnerable or experiencing difficult times is what we do every day. And, while it is true, we had to pivot some of our services to appropriate delivery mechanisms, and the presence of a crisis meant there was a greater urgency to much of the work we were engaged in, our focus continued to be on walking alongside those who are facing tough times.
Lessons learned during COVID lockdowns proved to be invaluable as we adjusted the way we provided essential services within the context of the weather events.
It takes a community to help a community
“It takes a community to help a community,” is an apt description of the days, weeks and even months that followed 27 January as Visionwest joined with other social service agencies and organisations, working together, utilising our strengths, and sharing our resources, to ensure essential needs of those impacted by the floods were met.
Through the generosity of the community, Visionwest received, from a variety of sources, over $670,000 for our flood relief work. As of 23 June, 92% of this money had been spent directly on flood relief with the remaining 8% earmarked for spending in the next few weeks.
A wraparound response to the flood
The result was the ability to be proactive in meeting multiple community needs as they arose including housing, food insecurity, financial, and mental health support.
The Visionwest Flood and Cyclone Report outlines, in detail, Visionwest’s response to crisis and the way the community rallied together to help others at their point of greatest need. It also lists some of the observations that will help shape how we respond to crises in the future.
A copy of the Visionwest Flood and Cyclone Report can be downloaded here.