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Religious Groups / May 2020

June 2020 | April 2020
    • May update from DCM - together we can end homelessness
      • 96 May update from DCM - together we can end homelessness p{ margin:10px 0; padding:0; } table{ border-collapse:collapse; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6{ display:block; margin:0; padding:0; } img,a img{ border:0; height:auto; outline:none; text-decoration:none; } body,#bodyTable,#bodyCell{ height:100%; margin:0; padding:0; width:100%; } .mcnPreviewText{ display:none !important; } #outlook a{ padding:0; } img{ -ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic; } table{ mso-table-lspace:0pt; mso-table-rspace:0pt; } .ReadMsgBody{ width:100%; } .ExternalClass{ width:100%; } p,a,li,td,blockquote{ mso-line-height-rule:exactly; } a[href^=tel],a[href^=sms]{ color:inherit; cursor:default; text-decoration:none; } p,a,li,td,body,table,blockquote{ -ms-text-size-adjust:100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust:100%; } .ExternalClass,.ExternalClass p,.ExternalClass td,.ExternalClass div,.ExternalClass span,.ExternalClass font{ line-height:100%; } a[x-apple-data-detectors]{ color:inherit !important; text-decoration:none !important; 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} } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnTextContent,.mcnBoxedTextContentColumn{ padding-right:18px !important; padding-left:18px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageCardLeftImageContent,.mcnImageCardRightImageContent{ padding-right:18px !important; padding-bottom:0 !important; padding-left:18px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcpreview-image-uploader{ display:none !important; width:100% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ h1{ font-size:30px !important; line-height:125% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ h2{ font-size:26px !important; line-height:125% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ h3{ font-size:20px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ h4{ font-size:18px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .mcnTextContent,.mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .headerContainer .mcnTextContent,.headerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .bodyContainer .mcnTextContent,.bodyContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .footerContainer .mcnTextContent,.footerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } Here at DCM, we have been determined to do whatever it takes to support our taumai during the COVID crisis. Doing things differently Here at DCM, we have been determined to do whatever it takes to support our taumai during the COVID crisis. For many of us, this has meant taking on different roles and tasks. In our March update, we saw Rob from our Outreach Team manning DCM’s new 0800 number phone support service for our taumai from his home. In our April update, we saw how DCM and Westpac kaimahi immediately worked together to enable our taumai to access their money during lock-down. Today we talk to Paula, a team leader on our Aro Mai team, about the fantastic work she and her team have been doing during this time... Paula As soon as we learned that lock-down was imminent, my team and I had to rapidly shift our focus – from supporting people with long histories of homelessness into permanent housing, to getting people off the streets and in to emergency housing. Together we can end homelessness – yes, this is always what it comes down to. The success of this work has been built on collaboration – in particular, between the government, government agencies and organisations like DCM. Prior to the lock-down, the whole process around emergency housing was slow and complex, but to respond rapidly to the COVID challenge, we were able to work together to rapidly improve and expedite the process. HUD* immediately stepped up; like us, they quickly shifted their focus, organising emergency housing and entering in to contracts with motels and the like, to ensure that the spaces we needed would be available. MSD were regularly in touch with us, asking us what we needed and supporting our work every step of the way. We received referrals from many different sources – from DCM kaimahi and our Outreach Team, but also from Wellington City Council, the police, Probation Services, the hospital and from mental health nurses and services. When it came to placing these people in emergency housing, I was able to work closely with Regina – another key to our success. Reg has been at DCM since 2011; she knows a lot about the most marginalised people, and often knows their story. She offers insight into what will work for them, and what the issues are. Together we could determine the right location, mix of people and a plan for the management of each location. Regina You asked me what success has looked like. To begin with, people have settled and stayed in their emergency housing, and this has actually enabled us to be true to our kaupapa, and to our commitment to Housing First. We have been able to engage with taumai, see them regularly and go forward together. People who have been homeless and who were not on our radar at all have stepped forward. With street begging not an option, limited toilet facilities and with drop-in spaces closed, emergency housing has become much more attractive to those who have been rough sleeping in our city. Now we are in touch with them, building relationships, getting their names on the housing register and – yes! – moving the first of them on in to permanent housing. So it has been a change in focus for me and my team, but ultimately, it has totally supported our over-riding goal as a team and an organisation which is committed to a Housing First kaupapa. *Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) <!-- --> From emergency housing to a permanent home DCM kaimahi helping taumai move into a permanent home Yes, as Paula says, we can now begin to share the stories of people who have already moved from emergency housing into their own whare. A has had a long history of engagement with DCM; he has been a regular at Te Hāpai, we have supported him to sort his benefit and to get his name on the housing register, he has had dental appointments, seen Te Aro Health nurses and received food support at DCM. A is a very pleasant, quiet and unassuming man who doesn’t ask for support and values his independence. We initially got an emergency housing room for him at AC International; it was immediately clear that a shared place like this didn’t work for him. There were too many people – A was accustomed to living in the bush on his own. We were then able to get him a self-contained place where he could be independent, but where there are also other taumai we are working with. Together, they have formed a very supportive community. They have been company for one another, and have been able to provide advice and support to one another. Dominic from our Aro Mai team then stepped up to support A in to a permanent home. DCM has a strong relationship with Wellington City Housing, and we were able to get A a WCH tenancy – yes, last week, he moved in to his own home. He can walk in to town, and has friends and supports close by. Dominic will continue to check in with him regularly, but A is enjoying the independence that is so important to him. <!-- --> Please help us get the message out there! Forward this email on to everyone you can think of who may be interested in how to respond to homelessness, and just generally people who are passionate about Wellington. <!-- --> Read More Success Stories Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive <!-- --> Copyright © 2020 DCM. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: DCMPO Box 6133Marion SqWellington, Wellington 6011 New ZealandAdd us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
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    • A response to the Destiny Church: applying Christian ethics in a time of pandemic - Rev Allister Lane
      • <figure class=" sqs-block-image-figure intrinsic " > Last week Brian Tamaki vowed to hold a Destiny service this Sunday in defiance of the decision by the Government to continue the ban on large gatherings under Alert Level 2. Tamaki urged other churches to join him (see Stuff Article). Many of us will have our own instincts in responding to the pandemic, with varying appetites for social controls and government guidelines. So, as well as assessing the risks of the virus, how do we assess how we do ‘the right thing’? What should guide us in whether we side with the opinion of Destiny Church, or not? Christian ethics offer resources for us at this time, to know how best to respond as individuals, as churches, as communities, being attentive to what really matters. Here are five points of Christian ethics for us to consider in how we respond to the pandemic. The sanctity of human life Truth telling Social justice Church Witness in the world Government. Each of these is consider in more detail below as an offering toward a moral framework to help respond well in a time of pandemic. 1. The sanctity of human life. God has shown through scripture and the incarnation of Jesus that human beings have sacred worth. Given this understanding of the inviolable sacredness of human life, there is an imperative for us to protect human life. This value of human life is linked to love of neighbour. In Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, we are invited to consider what this means with regard to responding to the physical health, safety and well-being of the stranger (Luke 10:25-37). In his book Kingdom Ethics, David Gushee states “Love sees with compassion and enters into the situation of persons in bondage.” (David P. Gushee, Kingdom Ethics (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2016), 204. ) The life and teaching of Jesus has shaped our understanding of prioritizing human health, and influenced the medicine and nursing vocations in caring for the sick, disabled and dying. Because Christians value the sanctity of human life, we strive to minimize any threat that destroys human life. We have all been presented with the evidence of the risks of large gatherings and how they unduly danger the lives and health of our neighbours. 2. Truth telling. A commitment to truthfulness is recognised as a hallmark of humility and forgiveness exercised in Christian discipleship. An openness to recognising the evidence and facing reality, in a way that allows our perceptions to be changed, is necessary in the pursuit of truth and the sharing of truth. We can therefore support the provision of clear and transparent information that offers guidance for making informed decisions. Insofar as the New Zealand Government and Health officials have offered clear and direct guidelines for mitigating the risks of the pandemic by limiting large gatherings, Christians should take this into account. 3. Social justice Scripture shows that human freedom is important to maintain. But human freedom is not ‘individualistic moral authority’ ( Gushee, Kingdom Ethics, 209) , rather it thrives when we live with love toward others by fostering compassionate justice. We must always recognise and advance the freedom of the other. In scripture justice is always ‘from below’, showing consideration and caring for the most vulnerable among us. Justice is only full when it includes justice for those who are the least in society. A pandemic affects everybody, but does not affect everybody equally. Our response must pay special attention therefore to those who are most vulnerable. Covid-19 is particularly dangerous and deadly to those among us who are elderly and have underlying health issues. Christians must therefore have particular regard for these vulnerable people among us. 4. Church Witness in the world Jesus says to his followers “…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The witness of the Church is to point to the person of Jesus as God’s revelation of truth, justice and compassion. What does the Church look and sound like when getting all grouchy and demanding our rights? Civil disobedience can be noble, and has been part of campaigns by Christians for standing up for what is right, but whose interests are we protecting? If we are witnesses to Christ, our actions will align with the interests of the least powerful and influential; we will demonstrate Christ’s love for those who may be otherwise overlooked by society. The Church exists for the sake of the world, and therefore its primary concern is not the preservation of its own internal activity. 5. Government. As part of Christian ethics, the Church must consider what is the ‘right’ relationship to hold with the Government. This needs to be assessed according to the system of government and the particular governing authorities of the time. In scripture we hear the deliberately subversive teaching of Jesus, who stated “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:13-17; Matthew 22:15-22; Luke 20:20-26). Jesus distanced himself from the Roman power structure and tax system that oppressed the poor, and cultivated idolatry. Christians live in a tension that recognises the appropriate role of the governing authorities, while giving ultimate loyalty to God as citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). Importantly, the prohibition on large gatherings is not a prohibition of worship. Indeed, most churches are creatively using multiple forms of technology to continue worshipping. Therefore the ban on large gatherings for the sake of the common good is part of the appropriate role of the governing authorities – it is part of ‘the things that are Caesar’s’! Conclusion These five points of Christian ethics are offered to assist us in adequately considering how we best respond to the pandemic. They are guidance for us, as we try to do the right thing. These points are offered as a contribution toward a robust moral framework that helps us assess particular actions, decisions, proposals and priorities. But, we also need to maintain a gracious disposition toward others – especially those immediately around us. Let us not be too quick to condemn. With grace as our guide, we can assume the best in others, discover the way forward together and default to human solidarity – just as Jesus shows us. With thanks for the input of Dr Derek Woodard-Lehman and the group members of the St John’s Daily Devotion Together.
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        • St John's, Willis Street, Te Aro, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6011, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)


    • April update from DCM - together we can end homelessness
      • 96 April update from DCM - together we can end homelessness p{ margin:10px 0; padding:0; } table{ border-collapse:collapse; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6{ display:block; margin:0; padding:0; } img,a img{ border:0; height:auto; outline:none; text-decoration:none; } body,#bodyTable,#bodyCell{ height:100%; margin:0; padding:0; width:100%; } .mcnPreviewText{ display:none !important; } #outlook a{ padding:0; } img{ -ms-interpolation-mode:bicubic; } table{ mso-table-lspace:0pt; mso-table-rspace:0pt; } .ReadMsgBody{ width:100%; } .ExternalClass{ width:100%; } p,a,li,td,blockquote{ mso-line-height-rule:exactly; } a[href^=tel],a[href^=sms]{ color:inherit; cursor:default; text-decoration:none; } p,a,li,td,body,table,blockquote{ -ms-text-size-adjust:100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust:100%; } .ExternalClass,.ExternalClass p,.ExternalClass td,.ExternalClass div,.ExternalClass span,.ExternalClass font{ line-height:100%; } a[x-apple-data-detectors]{ color:inherit !important; text-decoration:none !important; 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text-align:center; } #templateHeader{ background-color:#0f288b; background-image:none; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:50% 50%; background-size:cover; border-top:0; border-bottom:0; padding-top:54px; padding-bottom:54px; } .headerContainer{ background-color:transparent; background-image:none; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:center; background-size:cover; border-top:0; border-bottom:0; padding-top:0; padding-bottom:0; } .headerContainer .mcnTextContent,.headerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ color:#757575; font-family:Helvetica; font-size:16px; line-height:150%; text-align:left; } .headerContainer .mcnTextContent a,.headerContainer .mcnTextContent p a{ color:#007C89; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; } #templateBody{ background-color:#transparent; background-image:none; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:center; background-size:cover; border-top:0; border-bottom:0; padding-top:27px; padding-bottom:54px; } .bodyContainer{ background-color:#transparent; 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font-size:12px; line-height:150%; text-align:center; } .footerContainer .mcnTextContent a,.footerContainer .mcnTextContent p a{ color:#FFFFFF; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; } @media only screen and (min-width:768px){ .templateContainer{ width:600px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ body,table,td,p,a,li,blockquote{ -webkit-text-size-adjust:none !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ body{ width:100% !important; min-width:100% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnRetinaImage{ max-width:100% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImage{ width:100% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnCartContainer,.mcnCaptionTopContent,.mcnRecContentContainer,.mcnCaptionBottomContent,.mcnTextContentContainer,.mcnBoxedTextContentContainer,.mcnImageGroupContentContainer,.mcnCaptionLeftTextContentContainer,.mcnCaptionRightTextContentContainer,.mcnCaptionLeftImageContentContainer,.mcnCaptionRightImageContentContainer,.mcnImageCardLeftTextContentContainer,.mcnImageCardRightTextContentContainer,.mcnImageCardLeftImageContentContainer,.mcnImageCardRightImageContentContainer{ max-width:100% !important; 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} } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnTextContent,.mcnBoxedTextContentColumn{ padding-right:18px !important; padding-left:18px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageCardLeftImageContent,.mcnImageCardRightImageContent{ padding-right:18px !important; padding-bottom:0 !important; padding-left:18px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcpreview-image-uploader{ display:none !important; width:100% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ h1{ font-size:30px !important; line-height:125% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ h2{ font-size:26px !important; line-height:125% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ h3{ font-size:20px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ h4{ font-size:18px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .mcnTextContent,.mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .headerContainer .mcnTextContent,.headerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .bodyContainer .mcnTextContent,.bodyContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:16px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .footerContainer .mcnTextContent,.footerContainer .mcnTextContent p{ font-size:14px !important; line-height:150% !important; } } Reaching out to the most marginalised – during lock-down Reaching out to the most marginalised – during lock-down Natalia and Chris catch up with Mark in Te Aro Park During the COVID crisis, the priority for DCM’s Street Outreach team has been connecting with people rough sleeping or who are sleeping in their cars, and getting them in to emergency accommodation. “Government and other agencies worked together to rapidly increase the supply of emergency housing in response to the pandemic, and so we have been able to get rooms for many of these people, some of whom were not even prepared to consider such an option before the lock-down,” explains Outreach team leader, Natalia. “At DCM we often talk about 'Ki te hoe' or 'pick up the paddle'. What is it that motivates someone to finally pick up the paddle and do what it takes to get off the streets and into housing? In this case, concerns about limited access to food and toilets during lock-down, seeing that there weren’t the same opportunities to supplement their income through street begging with the streets empty, and being offered appealing accommodation, including new facilities, some of which also provide three meals a day. COVID-19 and the lock-down have offered us a unique opportunity in our work to end homelessness.” With a growing group of rough sleepers in emergency housing, the Outreach team can now prioritise supporting them to take the next steps. “We are seeing rough sleepers who were very reluctant to try emergency housing, even during the lock-down, now thriving in their new accommodation. The next step is to follow up with these taumai, and to have more kōrero with them about housing. There’s a window of opportunity while we know where they are, to talk about their situations and to do the groundwork to get them on the path to housing.” DCM is totally committed to a Housing First approach; this means that we will work with those we have been able to get off the streets and in to emergency housing, to get their names on to the social housing register and to work together to access a permanent home for them. This is something that for many of them would have been inconceivable a few months ago; but now they have taken a giant step, and this has opened up a whole new world of possibilities to them. Who knew that a time like this could be the greatest support in achieving our goal of ending homelessness in our city? This is part of a longer story about the mahi which DCM’s Street Outreach team is doing during lock-down: read the full story on our website. <!-- --> “Together we can” – find innovative solutions during lock-down Natalia out on outreach during Level 3, speaks to a man outside Westpac on Lambton Quay Some of the most marginalised people in our city have no home, no income and no ID. When these people are unable to access a bank account of their own, DCM provides them with a money management service, accesses a benefit for them and pays their bills; they then receive the remainder of their money by cheque. These cheques have to be cashed at a bank branch. This not only presented a significant problem during lock-down, but was potentially no longer a viable long-term option. DCM approached MSD and Westpac, and together came up with a solution which will make a difference in the lives of the poorest people during the current crisis and well beyond. Instead of receiving a weekly cheque, these people are now able to use a payment card supplied by Westpac. “Usually this would take a couple of months to organise, but we expedited it within two weeks so that these people could have their money,” Transactional Solutions Manager at Westpac, Julia Hopkins, says. It works like a debit card but is called a ‘prepaid card’ so DCM can put the amount of discretionary income which would have previously been paid out as a cash cheque onto the card, and the person can spend up to that limit. This is a fantastic step change, as we have grappled for some time with the problem of how to continue to deliver our money management service when cheques are ultimately phased out. The new initiatives which have enabled us to continue to support the most marginalised people in our city during the COVID-19 pandemic, also offer long-term benefits and solutions for our taumai.   Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, he toa takitini – Success is not the work of one, but the work of many. <!-- --> “Together we can” – an important conversation and shared commitment This morning the entire DCM team was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet with our local MP and New Zealand’s Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson – that’s 32 of us participating in a Zoom hui! We were able to share with him some of our learnings from recent weeks - the positive things and the challenges - and we were all uplifted by his responses. We updated Grant on the practical and innovative ways that DCM has responded to the crisis, and shared some of the positives, including: the speed at which a whole new stock of emergency housing has been made available, and  the excellent way in which the partnership between DCM, government, MSD and HUD, and other community agencies, has been working. Everyone has had a can-do attitude. Amongst the concerns we were able to raise:  The need to increase the stock of permanent housing, for people to move from emergency housing into their own homes During lock-down it has become clear that the level of substance misuse is larger than even we knew, and we will need more specialist drug and alcohol support in the future There are gaps around the integration of people exiting prison. During lock-down, we have had a significant number of taumai come to us direct from prison, including people who have served long prison terms sent to us to house in emergency housing. Grant acknowledged the courage and compassion that DCM has showed as we have kept working with vulnerable people. He spoke about a commitment to “Build Back Better” across a range of domains – from inequality and income support to a low carbon future.  And he invited DCM to be a part of this: “In the midst of this crisis, there is also a chance to look out to the horizon. We get to re-set things a bit; there is an opportunity here, and we need your help to co-design this new future.” Stephanie thanked him, accepted his challenge and issued another on behalf of DCM: “Thank you for the leadership you and the Prime Minister have shown to us as a nation. You have made bold decisions for us and you have shown the world this can be done with compassion and kindness” ... “Grant, we don’t want anyone to go backwards from here. Your government has often spoken about going hard, going fast. We have seen rapid decision-making and the benefits of this; let’s continue to go hard and go fast to end homelessness.” <!-- --> Please help us get the message out there! Forward this email on to everyone you can think of who may be interested in how to respond to homelessness, and just generally people who are passionate about Wellington. <!-- --> Read More Success Stories Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive <!-- --> Copyright © 2020 DCM. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: DCMPO Box 6133Marion SqWellington, Wellington 6011 New ZealandAdd us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
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