Auckland City Mission - Te Tāpui Atawhai

Meet our Senior Leaders! Introducing GM Māori Operations, Andre Matthews (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa) 👇 Andre oversees four of the Mission’s services including our two Māori-led services: Te Whare Hīnātore, a wāhine-only kaupapa Māori residential service and He Ara Whakamana Tāngata, our new wairua-led pilot programme which supports the wellbeing of our tenants in HomeGround and Te Ao Mārama, as well as the Front of House team at HomeGround and community dining room, Haeata. “Our Front of House team, we’re the waharoa, we are the first people you will see when you come into HomeGround. We also feed our street whānau right across the laneway in Haeata. My job is oversight of all the risk that happens across the services, making sure we have a safe place to work and also oversight of our budgets.” Andre joined the Mission in 2023 as Operations Manager Māori and when the opportunity came about to move into a Senior Leadership role he took it. “Career wise, I used to be front facing, but as my careers progressed, I’ve liked being able to make a difference from a different level, to have a bigger impact across more people rather than just the individual.” “Sitting at the Senior Leadership level means I have more oversight of what’s going on across the organization and how we integrate, or not, with other services. And now, it’s the same thing, having “Māori” in my title brings a different type of expectation, which makes me nervous but also excites me as well.” “One of the main things that drew me to work at the Mission was its support for Māori and one of the big things was Manurau, our Senior Māori Caucus, that there’s a place for the Māori voice to be heard across the organization and it’s not just coming from one person.” Outside of mahi, Andre loves doing Crossfit, he rides motorbikes in the weekend which he says is his getaway from the world, and loves all sports. When asked what is something about him that people might be surprised by: “I first went to school in Papua New Guinea, and I slept through an earthquake that was 7 or so on the Richter scale.” #Leadership #AucklandCityMission

We're having an Open Day! Step behind-the-scenes at HomeGround and find out how your support is transforming lives.  This is a once-in-a-year opportunity to meet frontline staff from our housing, food and healthcare services, hear personal stories of transformation and get your burning questions answered. Get your tickets here:👉 https://lnkd.in/g8pf_X4p All proceeds go towards the Mission’s life-changing services. Tickets are limited, so reserve yours now! #aucklandcitymission #openday #homeground

Meet our Senior Leaders! Introducing new GM People – Charlotte Hatlauf 👇 “My role sits across the People team, so everything from recruitment, onboarding, induction, policy and health & safety. I think we’ve gone through a bit of a evolution because of the growth of the organisation and the last few years was about getting some of the foundations right and now it’s time to take the next step." Charlotte had been following the Mission for a long time before she joined us. “In 2017 I volunteered for Christmas with a friend of mine and what really struck me was the scale. I’m an immigrant, I left my country of origin because I wasn’t super happy with the way things were going, and what attracted me to New Zealand was how much it’s punching above its weight.” “The Mission has a history of stepping into that really radical ground movement, like we did in the 80’s with HIV, I was really attracted to that. That has been a driver for me, that this organisation is stepping into the space that a lot of us ignore. I’ve heard Helen speak quite a bit over the years one particular point stuck with me: we have decided as a society that homelessness is acceptable – and we have the power to decide that it is not. Charlotte’s background is in employment law which lead her into Human Resources. “What I like about it, is it affects all of us. Challenging norms, that’s the sort of stuff that I find interesting. Obviously, it can be a slow burn because those things are culture shifts that don’t happen overnight, but if we have seen anything over the last few years, it’s that it’s possible.” Outside of work, Charlotte loves to swim, that’s her meditation, “it’s when my brain gets real peace.” She also has an eleven-year-old god child who is the light of her life and two dogs, Freddie Mercury, a mini dachshund and Blondie, a Cavalier King Charles as well as Billy Idol, the cat. “I love exploring Auckland. My best friend and I do a movie every week and I’m a big foodie – eating our way up and down Dominion Road with my friends.” Read her full profile here: https://lnkd.in/giAhs7a8 #Leadership #AucklandCityMission

Thank you to all those who have reached out with messages of support or concern over the last few days. Your well wishes have been gratefully received in what has been a difficult week. As reported in the media, on Tuesday 15 August, the Auckland City Mission – Te Tāpui Atawhai found out that some lollies containing methamphetamine were donated by an unknown member of the public to the Mission for distribution in food parcels. In the days since, the safety of those we support has remained our priority. We have left no stone unturned in our efforts to contact all those who may have received one of the faux-lollies and we continue to work closely with the police in support of their enquiries. We are reliant on the generosity of the public to help support people in need, and we are thankful to everyone who has reached out to support us.

A message from our Manutaki: "I am deeply distressed that Rinda Pineapple Flavour lollies containing a potentially lethal dose of methamphetamine were donated by an unknown member of the public to the Mission. They were in a sealed retail sized package that was then distributed. We are deeply concerned at this turn of events and the police are actively investigating. We have spent the afternoon and evening contacting anyone who may have been affected.  The safety of the people we support is of course our first priority." For more information, please see our website: https://lnkd.in/gwUUMYUB

Meet Dr bruce arroll who joined our Calder Health Centre in January this year, after 32 years as a GP in Manurewa. "I heard Helen Robinson speaking about the Mission’s work at The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners conference last year. She was amazing. Later that day, I heard a programme on the radio about homelessness. Then one of the Calder doctors asked me to come and do a locum here while she was away. I came in, met the staff and really admired what they were doing. It felt like the universe was calling me!" Dr Bruce now works at the Calder Health Centre two days a week: "There’s an honesty here that’s refreshing. I see a lot of resilience in the patients, because for many of them just surviving is tough. You realise how hard being a rough sleeper is on the body – the stress of trying to navigate the streets and find food and places to sleep. So, when we see patients who are in their 30s or 40s, they’ve essentially got the body of a 50 or 60-year old." "The complexity of medical problems is far beyond what you’d see in most other practices. The staff at Calder have their compassion button turned up and their prejudice button turned down. Many of the people we see have lots of unresolved trauma and the team here make a huge effort to make sure they’re not retraumatizing people. So our patients feel safe with the staff here." "This is a special place" 🔗 Find out more about our Calder Health Centre team in our winter newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gNJRy4En #AucklandCityMission

Are you passionate about building vibrant, resilient communities? We’re looking for a dedicated Community Development Lead to join our Supportive Housing team at HomeGround Apartments (HGA) 👇 In this role, you'll have the chance to: 🌟 Build and nurture strong partnerships across HGA, the Mission community, and the wider local area. Your leadership will help create a supportive environment where everyone can thrive. 🤝 Champion the rangatiratanga of tenants, encourage active participation and empower individuals through a whānau-led approach, enhancing the wellbeing of the entire HGA community. 🌱 Develop and implement engaging programs that meet community needs and foster social connectedness, helping residents envision and achieve their future goals. You’ll collaborate closely with the Supportive Services Lead Nicola Bowden and our wider Supportive Housing Team, bringing your expertise to drive our vision of a connected, empowered community. If you’re ready to lead with purpose and make a difference, we’d love to hear from you! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g8cYYTjW Pictured: Earl, Ashlynne, Mel, Damien, Ellie, Miki, and Nic #Hiring #CommunityDevelopment #AucklandCityMission

Join us for our Open Day on Sunday 20th October! Take an in-depth tour of HomeGround, our award winning building in the heart of Auckland, and learn first hand how we are supporting those in greatest need with food, housing and healthcare. Our kaimahi will be on hand to answer your questions and look forward to welcoming you into this special place. Tickets are available now 🎫 https://lnkd.in/g8pf_X4p #HomeGround #OpenDay #AucklandCityMission

Join the Coalition to End Women's Homelessness webinar on the 9th August for a discussion on international housing movements and the opportunities to create better housing outcomes for migrant and ethnic women in Aotearoa.   Victoria Crockford will be talking with Zola Rose and Ivan Eiroa Santamarina who will be sharing their personal insights as migrants to Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as their expertise on design, placemaking, and what makes for communities where women are safe and thriving. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gQHEiBnV #aucklandcitymission

Reading Revolution regularly come to HomeGround to hold reading groups where they read short stories and poetry together and then hold group discussions about what they’ve read. Shane, a resident at HomeGround, shares why he attends these sessions... 📚 #aucklandcitymission #buildingcommunity