Kia ora

I’m sure you are all as delighted as I am that spring is here, and winter is done and dusted for another year. This winter certainly brought its fair share of extreme weather events around the country, and our aroha continues to go out to those of you who have been affected. I hope that spring not only brings sunnier days but that it also signifies a fresh start for you all to move forward from whatever hardships you may be facing.

September is going to be another busy month with lots of exciting things to celebrate, including our Free Wills Week (4th – 10th September) initiative with our newest partner, Safewill, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week), FASD Awareness Month, Mental Health Awareness Week, and our two-day camp for rangatahi in care, ‘Face your Future’. Not to mention school holidays will be thrown into the mix too! It’s going to be October before we know it.

Things certainly start to get busier as we reach the tail end of the year, so I hope during all the chaos you are remembering to check in with yourself and those around you, practice self-care, and give yourself the recognition you deserve!

Lastly, it is with great sadness I let you know we recently lost one of our wonderful colleagues, Jennifer Kinsella. Jen was our Marketing & Communications Manager and had been with us for over 7 years. She was instrumental in the re-design of our branding, and always ensured our communications and marketing reached all our caregivers across the motu. She ran our National Conferences with amazing efficiency and was passionate about our Appreciation Fund, a fund that provided assistance for eligible caregivers who might need financial assistance to attend our conference.

In honour of Jen and her dedication to the Appreciation Fund, we commit to continuing and growing this fund in her name.  With her family’s permission, we have named this the Jen Kinsella Memorial Fund. So, we remember Jen at every conference, not with sadness but with appreciation for her contribution to Caring Families across New Zealand.  So her generosity, kindness, and desire to do good will live on in a way that I believe she will like.

Noho ora mai (stay well)

Linda