Kia ora East Coasters, what a great couple of months it’s been. 

I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in two face-to-face trainings, in Napier and Gisborne.  It was such a great opportunity to chat with some of you face to face, kanohi ki te kanohi. 

Also, I moved into our Caring Families Aotearoa East Coast Office. It’s located in the Taradale Co-Lab on Lee Road next to the Taradale town hall.   As the roads get better (boy what weather we’ve all been experiencing), I am hoping to be on the ground in the Tairawhiti area more and more.  It’s good to see that the repairs of the bridges and train tracks are coming along well in Napier. Although it was sad to see the central Hawkes Bay bridge, on state highway 50, partly washed away on the weekend, let’s hope it gets repaired quickly.    

This past month I have made great connections with whānau and community-based organisations like Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and VOYCE Whakarongo Mai.

I had the opportunity to also attend some training through Oranga Tamariki. This has increased my knowledge of the workings of Oranga Tamariki and for my own personal development.

It’s been an honour to support some of you in your situations, and to see some resolutions and good outcomes.

With all the severe weather events around the country and again this month in Tairawhiti, do remember to practice self-care, as anxiety and stress can rise. Remember to be kind to yourself and always reach out for support whenever needed.

SUPPORT

Now that we have a new Caring Families Aotearoa Regional office, I would like to start a men’s group next month so keep an eye on our Facebook page for more information and to keep updated on the exciting stuff going on in our region.

Our Facebook page is a great place to read the latest news from me, find out about events happening in our region, or even ask a question to the private group. We are all in this together. Click below to join the group.

Events

Our Matariki event in Hawkes Bay has had such a great response that we have had to close registrations. I am looking forward to a fun filled event at Te Awa School, with a Hangi for lunch, entertainment for our tamariki, such as sack races, ball, and spoon races, colouring in and basketball/netball, and a guest speaker who will tell us about what Matariki means in our part of the world, and hopefully some story telling too.     

Noho Marino, Noho Hono / Stay Calm, Stay Connected

James