Christmas calls to mind a host of nostalgic imagery. There are the timeless scenes of stars and sheep, herdsmen and wisemen, Mother and Child. Or perhaps more familiar modern snapshots: the bustle of shopping centres, travel plans carefully coordinated, calendars filling quickly as the year draws to a close. For many, the Christmas meal looms largest in the imagination – jubilant faces surrounding tables overflowing with food. Ornately adorned Christmas pines standing in a forest of perfectly wrapped gifts.
For others, like the whānau we serve at Visionwest, these images clash sharply with their realities of hardship. These realities don’t disappear in the holiday season. In fact, they amplify.
For whānau facing the persistent challenges of poverty, Christmas can intensify the fear and whakamā (shame) of not having enough to go around, not being able to provide for their children, and not having the means to celebrate. Loneliness can feel heavier when joy appears to be experienced by everyone else – everywhere else. Tragically, anxiety grows when families are confronted with having to choose between Christmas expenses and essentials like rent, power, transport or kai. Joy just won’t fit in the budget. These pressures do not exist in isolation.
Christmas From The Heart is Visionwest’s way of responding to hardship at a time of year when we all need aroha and manaakitanga. Each year, the event creates a space where whānau are welcomed, resourced with practical assistance, and reminded of their innate value.
