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• • July Update from DCM - Together We Can End Homelessness

    • 1 Aug 2019
    • Downtown Community Ministry
    • 96 July 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; font-size:inherit !important; 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} .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; width:100% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnBoxedTextContentContainer{ min-width:100% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageGroupContent{ padding:9px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnCaptionLeftContentOuter .mcnTextContent,.mcnCaptionRightContentOuter .mcnTextContent{ padding-top:9px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageCardTopImageContent,.mcnCaptionBottomContent:last-child .mcnCaptionBottomImageContent,.mcnCaptionBlockInner .mcnCaptionTopContent:last-child .mcnTextContent{ padding-top:18px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageCardBottomImageContent{ padding-bottom:9px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageGroupBlockInner{ padding-top:0 !important; padding-bottom:0 !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageGroupBlockOuter{ padding-top:9px !important; padding-bottom:9px !important; } } @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; } } Arthur...one year on Arthur is one of DCM’s many success stories. Remember his story - which you all enjoyed so much? Arthur was delighted to have his own whare after months of being without shelter. He was housed in Naenae, and despite some reservations about living outside central Wellington, he now describes it as “Like being in the country.” DCM’s support extended beyond getting Arthur into his own whare. He was supported through the DCM Dental Service to get a new set of teeth, and DCM’s volunteer audiologist treated him so he was able to hear much better. “DCM helped me with pretty much everything,” Arthur says. “They gave me food parcels, supported me to get my license back and got a copy of my birth certificate.” Another important support DCM was able to offer was to visit Arthur in his whare to make sure everything was going OK. Arthur has now been housed for a full year, and on his one year anniversary DCM staff dropped by with a gift and a card signed by the whole team. We are so proud of the progress he has made. “My whare is going well. I’ve been able to connect with my daughter and grand kids, and have met some new friends. I get along with my neighbours too – on both sides.” Arthur still comes in to Wellington from time to time, but he calls Naenae home, and he's proud to play a part in his community. As Arthur says, “Everything is better having your own place!” <!-- --> Support DCM at our 24th annual Bookfair DCM's iconic annual Bookfair will be held on Saturday 17 August, Shed 6, 8am-6pm. This will be our 24th fundraising Bookfair. Over the years Wellingtonians have spent well over $2 million buying books – money that goes straight to funding DCM’s work with people who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Preparations for the Bookfair start just after Easter each year. That’s when a small army of volunteers begins sorting, pricing and boxing books. Wellington has been generous to us this year, and we look forward to offering some 70,000 books at this year's Bookfair. To get the word out we rely on a team of 'publicity blitz' volunteers, and you will have hopefully seen our DCM Bookfair flyers, posters and signs up all around Wellington. It is not too late to help us get the word out - please drop by DCM one week day to pick up some flyers and posters for your community, school or workplace. You can also help us online. Join our Facebook event where we are featuring a 'Category of the Week'. And DCM is now on Instagram - follow us @dcm_wellington and look out for our 'Book of the Day'. <!-- --> Help us celebrate our 50th birthday In September DCM will be celebrating our 50th birthday with a photo exhibition, highlighting the amazing support you, the people of Wellington, provide us with. Please mark the dates in your diary and plan to be involved. Because together we can end homelessness in our city! <!-- --> Donating time, not sandwiches This article by Lee-Anne Duncan appeared in the July edition of North & South. Photo (above) by Victoria Birkinshaw. At DCM, every day begins with waiata and karakia. Outside the red double doors, a couple of dozen people stand in a circle, holding the lyrics on printouts, as a guitar-playing DCM social worker leads the singing. Half the singers are DCM staff, along with the day’s dentist and dental assistant, an ophthalmologist, and a Wellington City Council Local Host, there to check in about a newly arrived rough sleeper. Completing the circle are what DCM calls “taumai” – meaning ‘to settle’ – the people most organisations more clinically call “service users”. But there’s nothing clinical about the services DCM provides. When it first opened its doors back in 1969, then known as the Inner City Ministry, later becoming Downtown Community Ministry, DCM’s mission was clear – to “focus on the needs of, and help to empower, those marginalised in the city”. An ever-increasing squeeze on housing means that's more acute than ever, as DCM marks its 50th year.  The singing over, the karakia delivered, the taumai climb the stairs to Te Hāpai, meaning to lift up, a place where they can have a hot drink, some donated food, and kōrero with other taumai and DCM’s social workers. They’re genuinely welcome. “This is where people come seeking support, connection and community,” says DCM’s director of 15 years, Stephanie McIntyre. “We do all we can to give them a voice, to be heard, to be lifted up. But it is about so much more than this.” Where the instinct to help those experiencing homelessness is to hand out food, blankets, clothes – all temporary comforts – DCM is focused on dealing with the underlying causes. “More than 1200 taumai come through our doors each year. Of those, some 275 are without shelter, sleeping rough,” says McIntyre. “We focus on getting them into housing as a first step. That done, for all our taumai, we support them to sustain their tenancies and we set out on a journey together to greater wellbeing.” About half DCM’s services are backed by government or Wellington City Council funding, including an outreach programme, where social workers visit those rough sleeping or begging, ensuring they’re connected to social services and encouraging them into DCM. The other half comes from donations and fundraising, undertaken by Wellingtonians generous with their money and their time.  In Shelly Bay, a legion of volunteers is counting and sorting books ready for the upcoming DCM Bookfair (17 August), DCM’s major annual fundraiser. Many have given their time year after year. Around the city, volunteer photographers are capturing images for a photo exhibition to mark DCM’s 50th birthday this September. Back at DCM, in one of the organisation’s two treatment rooms, Paul, a retired ophthalmologist, is helping taumai see properly. “Sometimes with a few minutes of Paul’s time and a $5 pair of Warehouse glasses, our taumai leave able to see again. How amazing is that?” asks McIntyre. When Paul is not there, Jeff, a neighbouring physiotherapist, donates his time to ease the aches of sleeping rough, and Lisa, an audiologist, tests hearing, cleans ears and fits donated hearing aids. They’re all life-changing services offered gratis by skilled professionals, but potentially the most impactful is the relief dispensed by DCM’s Dental Service, with the backing of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Dental Association. Dental Assistant Emily Kremmer gives five hours of her time once a week, despite working full time for a periodontist and studying for a communications degree. “It’s so humbling and rewarding to volunteer here. You take away their pain and get so much gratitude in return. One man we worked on the other day said, ‘I’m a new man, I feel fantastic’. I am really busy but I’ve no plans to stop volunteering. I learn so much working here.” “We have adopted the tagline ‘Together, we can end homelessness in Wellington’,” says McIntyre. “For our 50th anniversary we’re emphasising the ‘together’ part. Donating time or money is an effective way to help end homelessness.  It’s certainly a more effective way to be part of the solution than by handing over a sandwich.” <!-- --> Please help us get the message out there! Forward this email on to everyone you can think of who may be interested in books, how to respond to homelessness, photography and just generally people who are passionate about Wellington. Because together we CAN end homelessness in our city. <!-- --> 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 © 2019 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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• • April update from DCM - together we can end homelessness

    • 1 May 2020
    • Downtown Community Ministry
    • 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; width:100% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnBoxedTextContentContainer{ min-width:100% !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageGroupContent{ padding:9px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnCaptionLeftContentOuter .mcnTextContent,.mcnCaptionRightContentOuter .mcnTextContent{ padding-top:9px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageCardTopImageContent,.mcnCaptionBottomContent:last-child .mcnCaptionBottomImageContent,.mcnCaptionBlockInner .mcnCaptionTopContent:last-child .mcnTextContent{ padding-top:18px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageCardBottomImageContent{ padding-bottom:9px !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageGroupBlockInner{ padding-top:0 !important; padding-bottom:0 !important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px){ .mcnImageGroupBlockOuter{ padding-top:9px !important; padding-bottom:9px !important; } } @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.
    • Accepted from DCM alerts archive 67 months ago by tonytw1
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    Wellington Zoological Gardens, Manchester Street, Melrose, Wellington, Wellington Region, 6021, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
  
  

• • November Update from DCM - Together We Can End Homelessness

    • 29 Nov 2019
    • Downtown Community Ministry
    • 96 November 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; } } Support DCM this Christmas Each year, Nota Bene hold a very special Christmas concert at Prefab Hall as a fundraiser for DCM’s work with people who are experiencing homelessness. Those of you who were able to visit our 50th birthday photo exhibition will have seen this image by Wellington photographer Mark Beehre which reflected the loyal support of these talented performers. We encourage you to head down and join us at Prefab for a glass of wine in the sun, some beautiful music and a chance to lift up these kaitautoko of our work. Please get the word out to all your contacts and networks!   Tuesday 3 December, 6-8pm Prefab Hall, 14 Jessie Street No cover charge. Koha for DCM. <!-- --> Reaching out to the most marginalised DCM’s Outreach team helps support Wellington’s most marginalised people. It also gives Wellingtonians a way to make a real difference in the lives of people begging or sleeping rough in the city. It’s the bright blue sleeping bag that catches Natalia Cleland’s eye. The woman is lying on a wooden bench in the winter sun outside the McDonald’s on Manners Street. Her long brown hair falls over the backpack she’s using as a pillow as she tries to sleep, facing the back of the bench. While Rob Sarich stays back, both to not alarm the woman and to remain watchful, Natalia approaches and talks to her. After a few minutes, Natalia returns. "I know her. And I’m really glad to see her because she hasn’t been in for a while and I was starting to get worried. She told me she’s hungry, so I said to come in for a feed and a korero. I’ll also check where she is on the social housing register and see if there’s anything I can do." Natalia and Rob are social workers with DCM. Formerly known as the Downtown Community Ministry, for 50 years DCM has been working to end homelessness in Wellington. Offering a variety of services, one of their main focuses is on supporting their taumai (meaning ‘to settle’, and what DCM calls those who use its services) into sustainable housing and back into life. To ensure people who are experiencing homelessness get the support they need, each week day DCM social workers walk the capital’s streets, usually in pairs, on ‘Outreach’, looking for people who are begging or appear to be sleeping rough. While much of DCM’s work is funded by donors and fundraising, the Wellington City Council pays for DCM’s Outreach team as part of its commitment to ending homelessness and street begging. "Many people experiencing homelessness or street begging find their way here to DCM," says Natalia. "But there are others who we aren’t working with and who aren’t engaging with other services. So we go out to speak with them where they are, and to encourage them to spend some time with us at DCM. "We also get referrals from other social services. Like, the team at the Soup Kitchen might call to say there’s someone new in town and can we come talk to them about how DCM can support them? We take the approach that any door is the right door. We don’t mind how they get to us; we just want them to come in and spend time at DCM. Then we can begin to build a relationship with them, with the aim of getting them off the street and into a whare," says Natalia. Rob and Natalia clearly have great memories for names and faces. At Midland Park, on the lunchtime-busy Lambton Quay, the pair spot a man they’ve seen before. He’s sitting on a bench, his duffle bag tucked beside him. "To most people he looks like someone taking a rest, but we immediately see someone who’s not quite fitting in," says Rob. They both go over and talk; Natalia perches a polite distance away on the bench and Rob sits on a concrete step in front of him. They don’t talk long. "But that’s the longest we’ve managed to talk to him. Usually he doesn’t even let us sit down," says Natalia. "He just says, 'No thank you, no thank you,' and waves us off. But we usually get a bit more information each time." It takes a certain chutzpah to go up to someone sleeping rough and begging to talk about their situation.  But it’s what Natalia, Rob and other members of DCM who go on Outreach do. "We’ll introduce ourselves and say where we’re from, and we’ll invite them down to DCM," says Natalia.  And when they do come down, there’s a lot DCM can offer. They can talk to the physio about their aches from sleeping rough, see a dentist for the toothache that’s giving them constant pain or get something from the food bank. "We look for what’s going to interest them enough to engage, then we can start talking about housing," says Rob.  There is some reciprocity expected. "That might be only that they open up to us a little too, that they give us their real name, or their real date of birth; something that shows some trust in us," says Rob. "What we do is about manaakitanga, which is about hospitality, but also about lifting up people’s mana. So we need to give them the space to show that they can do something too." There’s something the public can do as well, and it’s not about giving money or sandwiches. It’s calling the Wellington City Council if they see someone sleeping rough within the council’s boundaries. The council then calls DCM, who send one of their people out to engage with them, bashing through bush, scrambling up trees or down under bridges if that’s what it takes. "Often it’s people we would never have found on our own," says Natalia. "One time we got a call about a woman sleeping at the Freyberg Beach toilets, and another in the Balaena Bay toilets. We can’t go and knock on all the toilet doors so we wouldn’t have found them without someone calling us." While DCM certainly needs notifications from the public, the best ones come from the taumai themselves, concerned about someone new sleeping rough. "Often they will meet someone at the Night Shelter or somewhere on the streets and they’ll encourage them to come and see us, or they’ll bring them in. We love that. That shows real trust.’" – From the latest One Percent Collective Generosity Journal. Words by Lee-Anne Duncan. Images by Pat Shepherd. We are looking for new kaimahi (staff) to join DCM's Street Outreach Team. If you would love to be part of the amazing work you've just read about, please get in touch with Matt. <!-- --> Giving feels good! One Percent Collective helps to raise money for DCM and 13 other Kiwi-based charities. They’re a tiny crew of two people but they’re making a big difference. Since 2015 their regular givers have contributed $170,000 to DCM. 100% of that money has been passed on to us. One Percent Collective handles all of the admin so the money just shows up in our account – no strings attached. One Percent Collective’s running costs are covered by 50 generous individuals and corporate sponsors but they don’t have big marketing budgets. Between now and March 2020, they’re running a campaign with a target of 200 new givers. That could mean up to $10,000 extra raised per year for DCM! Their campaign celebrates those who give and the good feelings that giving brings. We encourage you to join One Percent Collective. If you already donate to us, please help One Percent Collective inspire generosity in more people by sharing this link via social media. Do good - feel good! Support One Percent Collective and DCM. <!-- --> Buy a gift for DCM We just can’t get by without a reliable freezer here at DCM. We store the wonderful donations of Pandoro products and other frozen goods which we receive from generous Wellingtonians in our foodbank freezers. But our trusty and ageing freezer is beginning to make strange noises, and we really need to replace it in the next few weeks. Can you or someone you know help us with this? A brand new chest freezer will cost us about $1,000.If this is something you'd like to purchase, or contribute toward, please get in touch. <!-- --> 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 © 2019 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.
    • Accepted from DCM alerts archive 71 months ago by tonytw1
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• • Ngā Kōrero - Latest Stories from DCM

    • 4 Apr 2023
    • Downtown Community Ministry
    • 96 Ngā Kōrero - Latest Stories from DCM 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; font-size:inherit !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; } } When we connect with our neighbours, good things happen communities where whānau are housed, connected, valued and thriving About Us Contact When we connect with our neighbours, good things happen Ka tūhonohono te hapori, ka puta ngā hua DCM has been taking part in Neighbours Aotearoa throughout the month of March. Neighbours Aotearoa is all about making connections in your neighbourhood. If we can be a resilient and supportive community, we can make longer-term and more deeply ingrained changes to the social fabric of Aotearoa. At DCM, we have often wondered how we can better take part in our neighbourhood. We work with the most marginalised people in our city. We are so focussed on ensuring our people are housed and supported to become good neighbours – but Neighbours Aotearoa made us ask, how can we as an organisation be good neighbours too? One thing DCM does very well is sing! And so, throughout March, we have been taking our daily karakia and waiata out into the middle of Te Aro Park, inviting everyone to join in. It has been a fantastic experience and we know that much like our location on Lukes Lane, the park also occupies the historic space of Te Aro Pā. It is right and appropriate that waiata should again be heard here. Ka mihi au kit e takiwā o Te Aro Pā. DCM's chess tournament in Te Aro Park. Cesar (top right, in wheelchair) was the winner on the day. A highlight of the month – and year – was a chess tournament held in Te Aro Park in collaboration with Wellington City Council. We had members of Police, Community Law, BGI (Wellington Boys & Girls Institute), Hāpai Ake (Local Hosts), Te Paapori, Barkers Clothing, students from Te Auaha Barbering Academy, and members of the public who happened to be walking past, join in the fun. But it was DCM whānau who scored the most wins, with Cesar at the top of the leader board with 10 wins in total. Nice job, Cesar. DCM kaiāwhina Fabian shares his thoughts about the day: DCM's kaiāwhina Fabian was nervous getting on camera, but here shares his thoughts on Neighbours Aotearoa and playing chess in Te Aro Park with the DCM crew and our neighbours. <!-- --> On the road with the Noho Pai team This month we share the story of DCM’s Noho Pai (Sustaining Tenancies) team. The Noho Pai team work tirelessly to support whānau to sustain their tenancies, to be good neighbours, and to thrive in their communities. Their focus is on ensuring positive outcomes for vulnerably-housed whānau – and sometimes it is very demanding and time-consuming mahi. The team is also there to pick up the pieces when things fall apart. When DCM says we work with marginalised people, this is what it truly looks like. The Noho Pai team have some of the most vulnerable members of our entire community on their books. As a result, we have opted to change the names of the people featured in this story, and we will not share any photos from inside their homes. Delena’s first stop of the day is a tall concrete building owned by Kāinga Ora (formerly Housing New Zealand). A security guard lets her in the front door, where she will visit the small, ransacked flat of someone who will not be home – Marie – because she is in prison. Delena’s task today is to save as much of Marie’s stuff as she can, especially items that are meaningful to her. Kāinga Ora has agreed to store some of Marie’s stuff, but the rest will be dumped. Patsy is a Kāinga Ora tenancy manager and good friend of DCM’s. She lets Delena into the small one-bedroom flat. The place is a shambles, with items strewn everywhere, and graffiti on the walls. The kitchen is a no-go zone. Delena explains that this isn’t entirely Marie’s doing – other people have made themselves at home, causing a lot of collateral damage. Like many of the whānau DCM works with, Marie is extremely vulnerable. She has experienced severe trauma, and lives with a chronic condition that makes socialising with others a challenge. This also makes living in a small, noisy apartment, among many other vulnerable people, a problem for people like Marie. But Marie will not be able to come back to this flat – as Kāinga Ora will not allow people to return. Like many buildings in Wellington, it needs multi-million-dollar upgrades. When Marie finally comes out of prison, all she will be left with are the items Delena can save. Marie is very proud of her clothes, and so Delena focusses on saving the items she can recognise. She puts post-its on other small items, and ensures Patsy knows that Marie will want to keep the peach couch. Marie was very proud of her couch – it will mean a lot for her to see it on the other side. Patsy from Kāinga Ora (left) with Delena. On the top floor of the complex, a number of people are taking part in a weekly café-style lunch. This is a chance for tenants to connect with one another while enjoying coffee and home-baked kai provided by one of the local faith communities. Numerous people known to DCM have come from other complexes to join in the occasion. Ava makes her way around the café with ease. She stops to talk with Douglas – whose story we shared in 2021 – in the rooftop courtyard that overlooks the city. The café is a great opportunity to catch up with people DCM hasn’t seen in a while. Ava also catches up with Patsy from Kāinga Ora about one of her whānau who was not at their flat today, with whom she wants to have a catch-up kōrero. Ava finds her relationship with Patsy essential to her work. When one of Ava’s whānau moved to another property due to circumstances outside their control – without Ava’s knowledge – it was Patsy who helped her reconnect with them at their new address. Also at the café today is Elaine, who is 67 years old and housed at another location. Elaine’s new flat sits by itself and Elaine misses the social connections she was able to make at this complex. It is good to see Elaine, as when she is unwell she will completely disconnect from services. Like a keel, the Noho Pai team know that they can use their friendship with her to help right things again. Elaine loves jigsaw puzzles, and Ava says that she has picked up some new ones for her. The Noho Pai team will pop around to visit her in her whare tomorrow, and while there will check that she is doing well inside her still-new four walls. Douglas with Ava. Across town, Moses arrives at Fred’s place. Fred suffers from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Wellington City Council want to re-carpet Fred’s whare, but he doesn’t trust them, and tradespeople refuse to enter the property due to the state it is in. As a result, Fred doesn’t like letting people into his home – but he opens the door to Moses. Fred seems comfortable with Moses, who is here to try to get him on to the correct benefit. They travel to Fred’s health centre as Fred needs a medical certificate. While there, Moses advises Fred to pick up a payment card from MSD so he can buy a phone and keep in contact with Moses and other important people in his life. These are positive outcomes for Fred today. Moses will broach the subject of Fred’s carpet soon – which will help raise his overall quality of life. Moses. At court, Tipene is stopped by security who ask him to put his possessions in a plastic container, which goes through a scanner. On the second floor, Tipene enters courtroom number 2, waiting for one of the 15 people on his caseload – Dean – to arrive. Dean has been having a tough time since the lockdowns, when his drinking started up after years of sobriety. He is facing charges for an incident involving some friends he has been having a hard time distancing himself from. Dean arrives, and the mood in the room is tense, with the gallery full of others waiting for their turn to be called to the stand. Dean is called, and it is humiliating for him to have to get up in front of so many strangers. The judge speaks first, and then the conversation moves from lawyer to lawyer, and finally to Dean. A date is set for the next stage in the case and Tipene takes Dean aside for a quick kōrero. Dean is relieved to have the support of a familiar face at these proceedings. This is a still from a story about Wellington's Special Circumstances Court, which you can watch on our YouTube page. Delena visits the whare of another person on her caseload – Sarah. Sarah is housed in a Kāinga Ora property, but it’s a standalone house, which Delena explains is a more appropriate fit for Sarah, who didn’t do very well in a housing complex. The lawn is overgrown but Sarah doesn’t have any gardening tools – something the team will get to when they can. Today it’s all about a phone – as Sarah’s phone is not able to make or receive calls. The whare is in a very quiet and isolated spot, and because Sarah also has schizophrenia, it’s important that she can be contactable, but also call for outside help too. Sarah freely talks about being “Under the Mental Health Act”. She sees this as a positive, as when she has an episode, or when things become a bit too much, she knows that she can go into respite care for a time. Delena explains that Sarah’s level of support at the moment is about practicalities such as a working phone. Another need at the moment is a bed. Sarah says she gets $300 a week, but Delena thinks she can access a special grant to get a bed, as sleeping on the floor isn’t ideal. Sarah says she has made a pasta meal, which Delena is delighted to hear. People have different levels of skill, and for whānau like Sarah, it’s sometimes a “two-step process”. In Sarah’s case, that’s successfully boiling the pasta, and adding some pasta sauce. There’s no cheese, but then that would be one step too far – for now. The Noho Pai team - Moses, Kesia, Ava, Penny, team leader Robert and Tipene. (Delena not pictured). Ava makes her way to the outer suburbs of Wellington to visit Hector. Ava has been working with Hector for some time. They see each other every week, and have built up a trusting relationship. When DCM first met Hector, he was sleeping in his car. He is now housed in a Kāinga Ora complex. Hector lives in a barren, windswept location, in dull, grey buildings that house many other vulnerable people. But inside Hector’s whare it’s a different story. Artworks adorn the walls and a coat that Hector is making for himself from unused curtains lies on the floor, a current work in progress. Hector has a Master of Fine Arts and his accomplished creativity is visible throughout his whare. Ava talks with Hector like an old friend, and the conversation flows across topics ranging from religion to kebabs. Hector wants to visit a local community centre, and so Ava drives him over to a bright, vibrant building that stands in stark contrast to the Kāinga Ora complex. Ava asks Hector to give her a call later about a food parcel, and Hector goes to see what’s happening at the centre today. On the road with Tipene (Stephen). Tipene goes to visit one of the most challenging people on his caseload – Trevor. Trevor is no longer able to access his property due to hoarding, and so now sleeps outside. Trevor has made his own campsite from scavenged materials, painted in bright colours. In Trevor’s mind, he had no choice but to build this fortress, with no other housing options available for him – just bureaucratic dead ends. Tipene calls out a greeting, and Trevor answers. They have a kōrero about Trevor’s situation. Trevor is understandably struggling at the moment and feels disenfranchised by the way others within the social sector treat him, particularly mental health services. Tipene often finds himself acting as an advocate for Trevor so that his mana is upheld, as at times he is known to walk out of meetings. Everyone wants the same outcome for Trevor – for him to be sustainably housed, connected, valued and thriving – but right now this seems far away. There are discarded tins of food around the campsite, and Tipene asks Trevor if he needs a food parcel with easy-tear tabs. Trevor says he is OK for now, and Tipene says that he will catch up with him soon. It is hard to leave Trevor behind on what has turned into a cold, wet afternoon. <!-- --> These are just a handful of stories from DCM’s Noho Pai team. How challenging it can be to stay housed after you have spent years living rough. Maybe you’re dealing with unaddressed mental health issues such as hoarding. Maybe you have an addiction. Maybe you were never taught how to do housework, or to cook. Maybe your mates need somewhere to stay, but their behaviour disrupts other tenants. When our whānau are dealing with these daily frustrations, housed among other vulnerable people while living on low incomes during a cost of living crisis, it might seem easier to go back to life on the street. The work of the Noho Pai team is challenging. But Ava, Moses, Tipene, Delena, Kesia, Penny, and team leader Robert don’t give up on anyone. They lift up the mana of our people, achieving positive outcomes for all – one step at a time. Ngā manaakitanga, Noho Pai team! WORDS / PHOTOS: MATTHEW MAWKES & MIRIAM HENDRY. Later in the year we will share the stories of DCM’s other amazing teams. In the meantime, thank you for your support of DCM – please do forward this Ngā Kōrero on to anyone you think may be interested in learning more about our mahi, and you’ll find other ways to support us by clicking the button below.   Support DCM <!-- --> <!-- --> Copyright © 2023 DCM. All rights reserved. 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• • Douglas shares his story - October at DCM

    • 31 Oct 2021
    • Downtown Community Ministry
    • 96 Douglas shares his story - October at DCM 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; font-size:inherit !important; 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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; } } Douglas is a warm-hearted man of Samoan descent who has faced many challenges in his life, struggling to find spaces to belong. Douglas's story 'O LE TAGATA MA LONA AIGA, O LE TAGATA MA LONA FA'ASINOMAGA' 'A person and their family is a person and their identity' - Samoan muagagana (whakatauki) Douglas is a warm-hearted man of Samoan descent who has faced many challenges in his life, struggling to find spaces to belong. From childhood, things have not been easy for him. He was removed from his family at a young age, and as an adult has struggled with addictions, and poor health. He has been able to hold down a tenancy at some times in his life, while at others he has cycled through various forms of homelessness – rough sleeping, couch surfing, emergency accommodation and the Night Shelter. Douglas has connected with many different DCM kaimahi since he first walked through our doors in 2008, in particular our Pasifika and Māori staff. Over the years, he has been supported by a wide range of DCM services. When he was unable to access a bank account and benefit, this gap was filled by DCM’s Money Management Service. DCM has supported him with budgeting and Work and Income advocacy, and with sorting his debts. Douglas has received emergency dental treatment at DCM on several occasions, and has lost count of the number of times DCM has stepped in with food support for him when the money has run out. Douglas has now been housed for some time in Berhampore, with the support of DCM’s Sustaining Tenancies team. But perhaps even more importantly, DCM has been able to support Douglas to rebuild connection with his family, and to connect and find his place in his own community. Photo shoot by Nikki Parlane. “I was born in Wellington and grew up in a Samoan family. My father was the caretaker at Wesley Methodist Church on Taranaki Street. I was the ‘black sheep’ of my family. I didn’t see eye to eye with my father or my brothers due to my sexuality,” Douglas shares, “which isn’t just a Christian thing, it’s also cultural. Growing up, I didn’t feel loved because of who I was. It was hard for them to accept me.” But through it all, Douglas never lost his desire to reconnect with his whānau. This disconnection and sense of rejection had a lasting impact on him, and on his mental health and addictions. As DCM built stronger connections with Douglas, it became clear how very important this reconnection was for Douglas’s wellbeing. Sia To’omaga is DCM’s Practice Lead. Her team delivers DCM’s Sustaining Tenancies and Community Connections programmes. They work with vulnerable tenants in their communities so that they do not fall back into homelessness, and are supported to thrive in their lives. “We have so many connections with Douglas,” says Sia. “Even before he came to DCM back in 2008, he already knew Regina from the Benefit Rights Service, where she used to work. And Douglas and I have a family connection. So when I came to DCM I already knew his whānau. And I knew Douglas was estranged from them, and how much this had affected his life. When his father died, it was a chance for him to reconnect. We made sure he was decked out in new clothes and new shoes and Regina and I took him to the funeral. He had to sit up front. That was a huge moment for Douglas, and the significance of that moment is hard to explain. Mostly it was a time to heal old wounds. Since then Douglas has been trying to make sense of his world. By the time of his brother's funeral, his relationship with his whānau had improved massively.” “I was left out in the dark,” agrees Douglas, “until I lost my parents. Then, my relationship with my brothers started to improve. Finally, when my older brother died, I was able to really connect with my other siblings, and we’ve been a lot closer since.” In Samoan, so'otaga refers to the making of connections, and feso'otaga to the connectivity between people. The past 12 months have brought more challenges for Douglas. The Covid-19 lockdown was hard on him – “There were no positives for me – though I understand it’s better to be safe than sorry. The hardest part for me was being stuck in a bubble. I wanted to reach out to my brothers and nieces, but I couldn’t.” He has also been coping with other health concerns. Recent surgery has made accessibility to his whare a challenge, but with DCM’s support, he is working through that as well. And the past year has brought positives too. Douglas is really enjoying connecting with DCM and his community at his local community centre. Sia and DCM’s Sustaining Tenancies team lead DCM’s community connections programme. When people move into their own homes, we want to spend time with them in their new communities, rather than having them come in to DCM in Lukes Lane. This programme is focused on building strong connections between taumai and their neighbours and other groups close to their homes, so that they can not only sustain their tenancies, but thrive – in their lives and their communities. Douglas rates the Community Connections programme highly. “I think it’s a good move. It’s good for people to see DCM out in the community. A lot of people don’t know what DCM’s about, so it’s great that the staff can catch up with people right where they live. It’s not just those of us who have been supported by DCM for years who can be part of this, but others who are struggling too.” Sophie McKenna is the lead dentist at the DCM Dental Service. Her calm and reassuring manner is a taonga, and she is able to support taumai who have considerable anxiety around dental treatment. At an emergency appointment at DCM this year, Douglas saw dentist Sophie McKenna, who discovered that he had a bad infection which needed urgent treatment. Sophie was then able to catch up with Douglas at DCM’s first mobile dental clinic right in his own community at DCM's Community Connections programme there. She checked on his progress, and explained how a referral for dentures could work to better improve his oral health. Douglas has been following this up and is getting along to the hospital appointments needed to make that happen. He has also been fully vaccinated against Covid at DCM’s vaccination clinics, and is regularly attending counselling sessions. “Mama Dee suggested I keep that going, so I will.” During his life Douglas has done a lot of voluntary work, especially with Pasifika social services where his fluency in both English and Samoan has been an asset. He has to focus on getting his health back on track first, but then he really wants to get involved with peer support at DCM, so that he can support others to build connections. He knows how very important this is. “I’ve had some tough times,” says Douglas, “and DCM has been there to back me up. Thank you to all those I’ve connected with over the years. And especially to Sia, Regina, Stephanie, Alan, Ula and now Mama Dee. Thank you for being there for me.” “The majority of the people who come to DCM are estranged from their families,” says Sia. “When we have the privilege to be part of whānau reunification – at any level – it is such a beautiful thing. We don't take the positions we have here for granted!” Douglas is on a pathway to the life he has wanted for so long, a life in which he has his own place to call home, and regular contact with his family. His is a story about the importance of connections, and about the transformation that can take place in the lives of the most vulnerable when we are able to support them to build and rebuild those connections – with their whānau, with us and with their communities.   <!-- --> In the news... Interview with Stephen This month DCM’s Director Stephen Turnock talked about our mahi with Maggie from Radio Active, DCM’s neighbours in Lukes Lane. Tune in to hear the interview here! COVID vaccination clinics The New Zealand Herald visited DCM to learn more about the COVID vaccination clinics which DCM and Te Aro Health have been running for the most vulnerable people in Wellington. Read all about it here. Saturday 16 October saw DCM kaimahi out encouraging New Zealanders to get vaccinated. Super Saturday And of course also in the news this month has been the Super Saturday Vaxathon. DCM kaimahi headed out on the streets that day to encourage people to take the opportunity to get vaccinated and to point them in the right direction. This is one very important thing we can do to protect the most marginalised in our community, including those who are experiencing homelessness. One of these DCM kaimahi was Bella from the Aro Mai Housing First team. “It was genuinely a fun day,” she tells us. “People were really positive. Most were already double vaxxed but we had quite a few people asking to be pointed in the direction of the vaccination centres – wanting to make the most of the walk in, no booking opportunity. Lots of people who were already vaccinated thanked us for the effort. I got myself vaccinated when DCM first got called up. Being a young, healthy person, I didn't really get vaccinated for myself. Rather I got vaccinated for those who are more vulnerable...my grandparents, taumai, those who are immunocompromised. If me getting vaccinated can play any part in protecting these vulnerable people, then I'm happy to do this. To those who are hesitant, I would suggest that you take the same approach. I understand being worried about the impact it might have on you, but if you can – it really is the selfless decision to protect those more vulnerable than you.” <!-- --> How can I help? Get vaccinated! Here at DCM we are doing everything we can to ensure the Covid vaccine is as accessible for taumai as possible, and you can help protect the most marginalised in our community by getting vaccinated too. It has never been easier. Help us re-stock our Foodbank On the first Saturday of the month, Ngaio Union Church open their doors to receive food to help re-stock DCM's Foodbank shelves. Please bring along any food items you would like to donate on Saturday 6 November to 3 Kenya Street between 10am-12pm. We also have a Foodbank bin at New World Chaffers where you can drop items off anytime. And on the fourth Saturday in November we will be holding our Christmas Foodbank Appeal. Follow our Facebook page for more updates or if you would like to help, please get in touch with Matt. Vouchers for taumai We asked; you delivered! Thanks to all of you who donated vouchers for us to take taumai out to purchase items for their new whare. Sharnia is someone who has had a really tough time, and we're proud to see the progress she has made right up to being housed recently. Bella was able to take her to Briscoes to choose for herself some much needed items for her new home. Sharnia really enjoyed this: “Thank you so much, this is so fun, I’m excited!” We have now used up these vouchers and would love to receive more so that other taumai doing the hard mahi to get housed can also be lifted up in this way. If you can help with this, please drop off vouchers to DCM or visit our website. A heads up... On Tuesday 23 November at 5:30pm we will be holding the DCM Annual General Meeting. This may be able to be held in person, and/or we may need to facilitate this year’s AGM by Zoom. If you would like to attend, please email us and we will be in touch with further details. <!-- --> *We call the people we work with taumai, meaning to settle. This reflects the journey we set out on together – to become settled, stable and well.   Support DCM! Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive <!-- --> Copyright © 2021 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.
    • Accepted from DCM alerts archive 49 months ago by feedreader
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    Ngaio, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)
  
  

• • March Update from DCM - Together we can end homelessness

    • 30 Mar 2022
    • Downtown Community Ministry
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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; } } Another great story from DCM! Introducing Jason - "And then something magic happened..." Jason’s Story TOGETHER we can end homelessness Jason is an amazing artist. He loves colour and painting; Wellingtonians love purchasing his artworks. Jason is resourceful and articulate. Over the years he has struggled with addictions and with his mental health. These challenges led him to move away from his whānau in the Hawkes Bay, and to sleep rough in and around Wellington for many years. Jason’s story shines a light on DCM’s tagline, as we reflect on the community - the “together” - who walked alongside Jason until, one day, something magic happened...   Robert Sarich is a member of DCM’s Outreach team Robert shares, “I first met Jason back in 2018. He was rough sleeping for a long, long time, but he was always affable, approachable, articulate. He didn’t want to talk about housing, but the more he got to know us and to trust DCM, the more open he was to listening and accepting our support in other ways. The difficulty was how to find him! He was rough sleeping in a cave, but there would be absences, so sometimes we needed to find him out on the street. In the early days, one thing he did need was food – and that became a conduit so that we could talk to him more about his housing. Then Janet joined our team, and her connection with Jason made such a difference. She was very strategic and intentional in the way she would engage with him. She would keep him up to date, and in great detail, which is what he needed. This further built his trust in us, and his willingness to work with us.” Janet Dunn worked as a Wellington City Council local host, before joining DCM’s Outreach team, working alongside Rob   Janet remembers, “I first met Jason when I was working as a local host. He was living in his “cave” up in Kelburn, and would regularly sell his paintings on Lambton Quay. I loved them, and ended up buying two of them. This cemented our connection – and this continued when I took on the role on the Outreach team in 2019. Jason’s art was one of the levers to housing for him. He needed to keep his art out of the weather, and he needed storage for his materials. But neither was possible when he was rough sleeping. He didn’t feel okay about being part of any of the art programmes around town – they weren’t his thing. He needed a space to do this on his own, at the right times for him. So one of our regular messages to him was, “Jason, you know we want you to thrive, and we can see that your art is central to this. We need to find a place and a way for you to do more painting, to be able to enjoy your art.” There’s another thing about our mahi at DCM. As kaimahi, as the people building strong connections with the most marginalised, we begin to hold, to carry, to nurture, their hopes and dreams for them. At a time when they cannot dream or hope, we carry this - gently and carefully. When they cannot see the possibilities and the joy the future may hold for them, we see this for them. In March 2020, COVID arrived in Aotearoa and we experienced our first lockdown. When Jason heard that everyone had to be off the streets during lockdown, he moved in with a friend, couch surfing. He found that he could spend time indoors, in a home.” Janet outside the “cave” where Jason slept rough for a long time. She says: “You know, last year – after Jason had moved in to emergency housing - there was a big storm and a landslide with a tree sliding right down over the entrance to his “cave”. Had he been still sleeping there, he would have been buried.”   DCM in Lukes Lane When rough sleepers walk through the doors at DCM, feel welcome and safe, we are able to connect them to a wide range of supports, and to further build connection and trust. The first time that Jason came to DCM was to see a dentist. It was May 2018, and – experiencing a lot of pain – Jason had attempted to pull his own tooth out, leaving some remnants behind. He saw dentist John Buckerfield that day. Later he would also receive major treatment from John Taylor-Smith and Louisa Leathart. The DCM Dental Service is another way that DCM builds connection with taumai, demonstrating in a very practical way that we are committed to being there for them when they need us most. Jason spent time at Te Hāpai, the purposeful space at DCM which offers so much more than coffee, kai and manaakitanga. DCM kaimahi connected Jason with MSD and took him through the steps needed to access ID. DCM became Jason’s address for mail, and each time he popped in to collect his mail, we could again encourage him to keep thinking about housing. He saw the nurses from Te Aro Health at DCM from time to time. And last year he came in to DCM for his COVID vaccinations. “And then something magic happened...” Tabitha George-Koshy, DCM kaimahi on the Aro Mai Housing First (AMHF) team “It was Janet who first introduced me to Jason – the connection she had formed with him was invaluable when it came to building his trust in me. It took about three months of joint visits to him out where he was sleeping before we began to sense a shift. Then two things happened – it was the beginning of winter and it was Jason’s birthday. Janet and I headed out to visit him the day before his birthday. And our kōrero went like this – “it is your birthday tomorrow, Jason, and it’s time for a change. We are going to visit you on your birthday. We are going to bring you chocolates – which we know you love. We are going to pick you up and we are all going to DCM – to talk about what we are going to do to get you in to a place.” And Jason said, “Okay”!!! We could not believe what we were hearing. We turned up the next day, and YES! He was there and he was ready for us. Off we went to DCM, where first of all, we spoke about emergency housing. We were able to talk about his concerns around EH and some of the misconceptions he had. I rang Jo Smith at MSD and she rang the Set-Up. Within an hour, it was all sorted, and we took Jason to his room. He walked around exclaiming, as if he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. “Oh my goodness! A shower!” then “Wow! A kitchen?!” And the story doesn’t end in April 2021, with Jason moving to the Set-Up on his birthday. No, the story just begins then. Because by the end of the year, Jason moved in to his own place.” “I still don’t know exactly what happened. But it did happen!” Janet continues, “How did things come together so that Jason felt able to give emergency housing a go, and then to accept a house, and to settle in a home, after all this time? It is hard to pinpoint one single thing; as we often say at DCM, it was magic. Several things all came together at the same time. Something turned. Robert Sarich always says, “We play this long game at DCM.” Like I said, his art was one of the things. Then there was the fact that during lockdown he had those few weeks staying in a house, spending time there and beginning to develop an image or a dream of what could be possible. His family connections were also important. Jason returned to the Hawkes Bay for his father’s funeral. I think while he was there he began to HOPE, to hope for a better future for himself. For a future which could include his own daughter. There was a new optimism. And then came his birthday. We were able to message to him: “You are not getting any younger, Jason; it is time to think about getting yourself a house.” As always, Jason’s response began with “oh yes, but I don’t want to think about getting a house. Not just yet.” And we were able to reply: “But we ARE thinking about this, Jason. We are thinking about it for you. And we think that it IS time.  It is a really good idea for you – right NOW.” “I can be me now!” Jason has now been housed for three months, in a property which has been provided by a private landlord. He is caring for his whare, enjoying his art and the space to be himself. Says Rob Sarich, “When he was housed, one of the things I saw in him was that he could just be himself at last – more feminine – and with a lot more pride, because he felt safe and secure. “I can be me, now” he said to me one day. It was great to see this happen for him, and so quickly.” Janet reflects on Jason’s many strengths: “You know, just before his birthday last year, we noted that Jason’s boots were all worn out. We offered to get him some new shoes. Of course he had absolutely no interest in “sensible shoes”! “No! I will get my own shoes!” he told us. Which he did – he found his own new shoes. He is very resourceful. We just want him to channel that resourcefulness into other things. Not to surviving in a cave. But to thriving in a community. A community where he is accepted, and able to both give and receive. This has been the dream we have carried for Jason for some years now, and now it is his dream for his own life. And it is a dream which is coming true.” Just as they did last year, the team are looking forward to delivering chocolates to Jason again on his birthday - next month. Only this year, they won’t have to go out to find him where he is rough sleeping. They will be delivering them to him...in his own home! Photographer Gabrielle McKone is a DCM donor and supporter. She headed out with Tabitha to visit Jason in his new whare and to take these photos of him – for Jason, and for all of us, to enjoy. We encourage you to read – and enjoy – more of Jason’s story and Gabrielle’s beautiful photos on our website. <!-- --> DCM Dental Service Emily Kremmer This month marks the 6th birthday of the DCM Dental Service - an excellent opportunity to acknowledge Emily Kremmer as she comes to the end of three years as lead dental assistant (DA) at the DCM Dental Service. Here she shares her story. Emily has supported Frances Ruddiman as a DA, both at DCM and at Wellington Periodontists. "I took my first session at DCM as a DA in 2018. That very first session was with dentist Lucy McGowan. Then in early 2019 I took on the role of lead DA. DCM supports people who have such complex needs and so many challenges in their lives, when often nobody else will. As dental professionals, we are just a part of a whole team working together in so many spaces – from food, income and housing, to mental and physical health and addictions, to connecting people to their whānau and their community. There have been so many fabulous moments with taumai, so many times when I have felt so, so proud to be part of this special place. I guess it is some of the earliest ones which stay with me. From the time when I was just beginning to understand taumai and homelessness, and gaining an insight in to the complexity of this. There was one woman we saw at the dental service who had suffered a chronic injury and could not work. She had used up all her savings and the means at her disposal, and lost her home. She didn’t know where else to turn. Her situation really struck me. If any of us did not have the support of our families and our loved ones, this could happen to us. Then there were the days when with a small investment of our time, we were able to make such a difference in the life of a taumai. There was a woman who had a significant chip in her front tooth; she had lived with this for many years. She had not come to DCM to have this dealt with, but John Buckerfield noticed; he could see that there was something extra we could do which could have a huge impact. And so we patched it up. It made the world of difference to her. She saw her own face, her own smile and was so grateful. She cried. I cried. It was such an emotional experience – being aware of how much we could achieve with just an extra 10-15 minutes of our time. It is time for me to move on now. Some doors closed during the global pandemic, but now they are beginning to open again. Jack and I got married this month. Next month I will graduate with a Bachelor of Communications. And then, after several false starts due to COVID, Jack and I are finally going travelling. Three years later, what would I say to anyone thinking about taking a dental session at DCM, either as a dentist or a DA? It always comes back to the joy of being able to help taumai, the joy of supporting the most vulnerable people in our community. It is ALWAYS worth it. One of the unexpected benefits for me has been meeting so many different dental assistants and dentists. Working alongside them, seeing the different ways in which they work. And more than that; it is that true sense of being part of a caring community. When you see a dental assistant from one practice working alongside a dentist from a completely different practice, you witness the Wellington dental community working together to support the most marginalised people in Wellington. <!-- --> Support DCM We call the people we work with taumai, meaning to settle. This reflects the journey we set out on together – to become settled, stable and well. Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive <!-- --> Copyright © 2022 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.
    • Accepted from DCM alerts archive 44 months ago by feedreader
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• • 

    Circa 2015 Season - jam-packed with theatre for all audiences!

    • 8 Dec 2014
    • Circa Theatre
    • Red Riding Hood, the PantomimeBy Roger HallSongs by Paul Jenden and Michael Nicholas WilliamsDirected by Susan Wilson2-10 JanuaryCirca One What a big smile you’ll have …Don’t miss Circa’s fabulous Christmas panto! And this year Red Riding Hood is back with one of the great traditional stories – innocent Red Riding Hood, her poor, short sighted grandmother, and of course the handsome woodcutter and that villain of all villains, the Wolf!There’s lots of laughter, hilarious jokes and musical goodies in Red’s basket as she sets off on her journey to entertain young and old with this marvellous magical treat.“A great way to introduce kids to the magic of theatre, and Red Riding Hood is easily the ideal Christmas outing for the holdiays … a treat” – Salient“Roger Hall’s helter-skelter Red Riding Hood… is wonderfully exuberant seasonal fun” – The Dominion Post The Kitchen at the End of the WorldBy William ConnorDirected by Steffen Kreft16-25 JanuaryCirca Two “Something is coming. I don’t know what it is. And I don’t know if I should fight it or welcome it.” One snowy evening, an empty 83-room hotel on the edge of the Vastness receives a thin guest who has walked all the way from the City. Penniless, he is smuggled into the hotel kitchen where a kind cook works near an extraordinary thyme plant. He says that creativity is dying. Described as “intensely beautiful”, “provocative and moving”, The Kitchen at the End of the World is the story of marionettes who know they are limited by the extent of their strings – even kissing can tangle them – but they crave what lies beyond their reach. A story about home, the unknown, and the courage to face everything in between. The show captivated audiences at its sell-out debut season during the Greytown Festival 2012and is a powerful reminder that puppetry is not just a children's art form. SeedBy Elisabeth EastherDirected by Kerryn Palmer17 January – 14 FebruaryCirca One SEX & DRUGS, WITHOUT THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL IVF isn’t foolproof and IUDs aren’t failsafe. iPhones come with ovulation apps and ‘choosing from the menu’ means selecting your sperm. Seed follows four women as they try to get pregnant, stay pregnant or become un-pregnant - the dilemmas of modern reproduction. Elisabeth Easther’s Seed is winner of the 2014 Adam New Zealand Play Award, which recognises and celebrates the best in new writing for the theatre. It’s a multi-narrative play about the mysterious business of fertility, with all of its challenges, heartaches and hormones. Seed is a drama that’ll have you laughing ‘til the tears are running down your face, and it’s a comedy that’ll make you cry. “Highly entertaining, funny and sophisticated” - Adam Play Award Judges “[A] sophisticated, witty and very contemporary meditation on the timeless processes of procreation.” - NZ Herald STARRING: Tess Jamieson-Karaha, Jamie McCaskill, Emily Regtien, Holly Shanahan and Amy Tarleton Warning: Adult themes and strong language. Demolition of the CenturyBased on the novel by Duncan SarkiesCreated by Duncan Sarkies and Sean O’Brien31 January – 21 FebruaryCirca Two Welcome to the world of Tom Spotswood, an insurance investigator who has lost his socks, his suitcase, his ex-wife and his son, Frank. Fresh from performances in the New Zealand Festival, Auckland Writers Festival, Tauranga Arts Festival and Nelson Arts Festival, Demolition of the Century sees author/performer Duncan Sarkies (Two Little Boys/Scarfies/Flight of the Conchords) stage a humorous and sometimes heartbreaking look at families, memories and the fragility of the human mind. He is accompanied by musician Joe Blossom, who plays a soundtrack that is both haunting and invigorating. “A series of brilliant vignettes, delivered in an inspired cabaret-style reading by the multi-talented Sarkies, and outstanding musician Joe Blossom… Blossom not only creates fluid and essential musical transitions, but his beautiful vocals, self-accompanied on piano and guitar, imbue this work with a powerful pathos that allow glimpses of the inner landscape of these characters. Demolitionis a fast-paced, darkly captivating cabaret-comedy, which leaves us fully entertained and tantalizingly close to solving a puzzle.” –Bay of Plenty Times Wake Up TomorrowPresented by Everybody Cool Lives HereIn association with ActiveDirected by Isobel MacKinnon21-28 FebruaryCirca One Welcome aboard Active Airlines! Join the eccentric passengers during this compelling, surreal and funny flight. Made under the guidance of Wellington theatre makers in collaboration with Active, a service for youth with an intellectual impairment, Wake Up Tomorrow was created from the minds of these incredible young people. Audiences will be transported from the mundane moments on a long haul flight to bizarre and hilarious scenarios.  Please fasten your seat belts, make sure you are in the upright position and enjoy the journey. We may or may not arrive at the expected destination. “In a work of this kind there is always a delicate balance to be held between presenting a polished product at the same time as allowing for a playful improvised quality to emerge that allows the actors to perform to their strengths. This was very evident in the final few scenes …” – Madeline McNamara Yep, Still Got It!By Jane Keller and Sandy BrewerDirected by Alan PalmerMusical Director Michael Nicholas Williams28 February – 21 MarchCirca Two YOUTH IS A GIFT OF NATURE, BUT AGE IS A WORK OF ART – Stanislaw Jerzy Lec Following the huge success of BOOMERS BEHAVING BADLY, Jane Keller returns with another hilarious show. A little older, a little wiser, a lot sassier, and even more confused. Whatever happened to the days when a cloud was a cloud, when face time was over a G&T, and we punctuated our sentences with full stops - not smiley faces? From senior sex and those pesky STDs to shopping sprees and colonoscopies, Jane shares stories of abject embarrassment, medical (mis)adventures, empowerment, and acceptance. In YEP, STILL GOT IT!  she embraces the power of an older woman with no FOMO. Together with the brilliant Michael Nicholas Williams on the piano Jane brings a brand-new show to Circa Two combining her special style of storytelling with her virtuoso Broadway voice. Capital E Kids FestivalCirca One CaterpillarsBy Kallo Collective Directed by Thomas MoncktonProduced by Show Pony7 March 10 am & 11.30am A tale of two puppeteers’ failed attempts at beautification. In the magical world of flitting butterflies, jumping eggs and giant swaying flowers, two lycra-clad puppeteers try their hardest to remain unseen and at service to their puppets: two enormous plump caterpillars. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, with nothing but their wits to cover up their escalating blunders, two appealingly hopeless clown puppeteers bring upbeat absurdity, slapstick silliness, and a good dose of reality to their hilarious and unpredictable antics. Beards! Beards! Beards!By Trick of the Light TheatreDirected by Hannah SmithWritten by Ralph McCubbin HowellProduced by Show Pony21 March 10am & 1pm Beatrix didn’t want a tiara. Beatrix wanted a BEARD! From Charles Darwin to Abraham Lincoln, Karl Marx to Mr Twit, it is said the secret to power and greatness is all in the size and shape of the beard. This is a tale of one young girl’s increasingly inventive efforts to grow the world’s most magnificent beard. Join a madcap and hilarious musical romp of physical comedy and clowning, as our plucky young heroine shakes up social rules and attempts to answer the questions that have puzzled mankind since the dawn of the beard. Suitable for  children 5+. The PianistBy Circo Aereo (Fin) and Thomas Monckton (NZ)In conjunction with Show Pony (NZ)Directed by Sanna Silvennoinen and Thomas Monckton7-22 MarchCirca One Direct from Edinburgh Fringe and the London Mime Festival, last year’s hit returns to Circa! “It would be no exaggeration to declare Thomas Monckton nothing short of a genius.” – Broadway Baby (UK) “I doubt very much that you’ll see, in fact I am prepared to bet on it, a funnier show this year…miss him at your peril”  – The Dominion Post (NZ) Fresh from a five-star reviewed season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and a sell-out season at Circa Two last year, award-winning performer Thomas Monckton returns with his smash hit The Pianist, this time at Circa One! The Pianist is a solo comic contemporary circus piece by Thomas Monckton (NZ) and Circo Aereo (Finland). The show is centered on, in, under, and around the magnificent grand piano. Accompanying this elegant apparatus is the poised pianist himself. Only he is so focused on impressing everyone that before he realises it, his show has transformed from the highbrow concert he hoped for, into a spectacularly amusing catastrophe. Suitable for all ages. The Mystery of Edwin DroodA musical by Rupert HolmesDirected by Lyndee-Jane Rutherford28 March – 25 AprilCirca One Who the Dickens did the deed? You decide! A non-stop ride of mystery, murder, and musical delight! Based on Charles Dickens’ final, unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood is filled with clues, red herrings, villainy, and debauchery. Everyone on stage is a suspect – and it's up to you to decide how this mystery ends!Hot off Broadway, this Tony Award-winning theatrical genius is led by director Lyndee-Jane Rutherford (Midsummer (a play with songs)), who reunites with the artistic team that brought Grease and Mamma Mia to the Wellington stage. The cast includes beloved actor of stage, screen and radio, Lloyd Scott, and internationally renowned soprano, Barbara Graham (Christine, Phantom of the Opera). The Mystery of Edwin Drood boasts spectacular big dance numbers, rousing showtunes, stunning theatrics, magic, and illusions!  Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score“One of the most inventive, inspired and rousing musicals ever devised.”—AM New York“Infectious fun!”—Time Out New York “Bawdy fun!”—Associated Press “Sheer fun!”—The Wall Street Journal Two MortalsDirected by Geoff PinfieldPerformed by Rachael Dyson-McGregor & Mike McEvoyComposed by Beatrice Lewis1-18 AprilCirca Two 'A powerful theatrical experience suffused with humour, beauty and emotional intelligence' – The Melbourne AgeTwo Mortals is a delicate, poetic and humorous exploration of life, death and the moment in between. Composed word-for-word from interviews with people who live and work at the ends of life – morticians, cryogenicists, palliative care workers and ministers – Two Mortals weaves these true stories and experiences into a richly theatrical exploration of mortality. This uplifting work about one of our society's most taboo subjects was directed by Chapman Tripp Director of the Year Geoff Pinfield. Created and performed by Rachael Dyson-MacGregor and Mike McEvoy, Two Mortals sold out two critically-acclaimed seasons at Melbourne's La Mama Theatre. Improv for KidsBy The Improvisors7-18 AprilCirca Two Kids love theatre that’s interactive. So do the Improvisors. Kids (and their grown-ups) loved the 2014 season of Improv For Kids, so we’re bringing it back. It’s a great opportunity to introduce your kids to the world of live theatre. We may not have millions of dollars worth of computer-generated effects, but we do listen to kids and we make their ideas central to what happens on stage. In Improv For Kids, imagination is the best special effect of them all! Don JuanBased on Don Juan by MoliereCreated by A Slightly Isolated DogDirected by Leo Gene Peters25 April – 23 MayCirca Two World Premiere A sexy, fierce, raucous celebration.  Don Juan explodes with the energy of a music gig or a club.  It’s a cabaret.  It’s chaos.  It’s a furious adrenalized romp through the games of attraction and sexuality.  It’s the BEST… PARTY… EVER.  Five mad performers use a variety of theatrical forms and styles to bring an adaptation of Moliere’s classic play to life.  Loaded with pop songs and flirting, this imaginative work will continually intrigue, delight and surprise. While the bar keeps serving drinks.  All night long.   Created by A Slightly Isolated Dog, one of Wellington’s most innovative and exciting companies.  Critically acclaimed and award winning shows include:  Death and the Dreamlife of Elephants (2009, 2011), Perfectly Wasted (2012 - in partnership with Long Cloud Youth Theatre) and Settling (2007). A Servant to Two MastersBy Carlo GoldoniA new adaptation by Lee HallDirected by Ross Jolly2-30 MayCirca One NZ Premiere Love, passion and pandemonium Goldoni’s much-loved comic classic is a masterpiece starring a wily servant whose cheeky, inventive trickery gets the best of his masters, in a merry mix-up of mayhem and mistaken identity. Truffaldino, the scheming and perpetually hungry servant, concocts a zany scheme to double his wages (and his meals) by simultaneously serving two masters – the lovelorn Beatrice (disguised as a man) and her lost lover Florindo. Hilarity abounds In this sharp, new, rapid-fire adaptation by award winning dramatist Lee Hall (The Pitmen Painters, Billy Elliot).   A delicious, madcap Italian comedy of lovers, disguises, tricks, traps, mishaps and meatballs! “A sparkling, wonder filled new version by Lee Hall... An evening to cherish” – Daily Mail “A hugely enjoyable night out" – Covent Garden Life TheatresportsBy The Improvisors3 May – 14 JuneCirca Two Part of NZ International Comedy Festival The Improvisors are back at Circa with another season of this very popular show. Each night two teams of Improvisors take suggestions from the audience and spin them into short scenes, songs, poems or whatever else takes their fancy. Each show is completely different – what does stay the same is that Theatresportsis always a great night’s entertainment for the whole family. We don’t know what ideas you are going to throw at us – we do know that our kind of improv magic has been keeping audiences laughing over many years. Theatresports – putting the “make up” on stage. Second AfterlifeBy Ralph McCubbin HowellDirected by Kerryn Palmer29 May – 13 JuneCirca Two Return Season of the 2014 Young and Hungry sensation!Dan was an internet junkie – now he’s calling it quits. But in order to forge a new profile, he must face up to his online history and it’s not going down without a fight.When Dan finds himself sucked into the Second Afterlife – a dark underworld of the internet, a very real and dangerous landscape of broken memes, deleted pages, and the ghosts of profiles past. Second Afterlife is a dark comedy about life (and death) in the digital age. Inspired by Dante's Inferno, and in the tradition of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, it is a twisted allegory for the Facebook generation – a poetic, ass-kicking romp to the darkest corners of the web. “Ralph McCubbin Howell cements his status as one of NZ's best young playwrights with Second Afterlife and director Kerryn Palmer, her designers and crew, and her exemplary cast of six do him proud.” - TheatreviewBy arrangement with Playmarket.Edge/Turning PageBroadway Star, ANGELICA PAGE“An actress of the highest possible voltage” – Wall Street JournalPerforming two shows, alternate nights, two weeks only6-20 JuneCirca One EDGE written by PAUL ALEXANDER Set in 1963 on the day of Sylvia Plath’s death, Edge presents the self-told story of the troubled poet and author of The Bell Jar, The Colossus, Ariel and the Pulitzer-Prize winning Collected Poems. “… a resurrected Sylvia Plath… the showcase of a lifetime” NEW YORK TIMESRETURNING TO OUR STAGE 10 YEARS AFTER ITS SENSATIONAL 2005 CIRCA SEASON TURNING PAGE written by ANGELICA PAGEGeraldine Page’s sparkling career earned her a record-breaking eight Academy Award nominations, an Oscar for Best Actress in 1986, and made her one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. Turning Page is the triumphant and heartbreaking true story of one of the most celebrated actresses of all time, written and performed by the person who knew her best: her own daughter. “A privilege” Los Angeles Times Matariki Development FestivalPresented by Tawata Productions22 June – 4 JulyCirca TwoAn international indigenous playwrights’ festival boasting an enviable whakapapa of the very best of contemporary Maori & Pasifika theatre.  MDF 2015 features new writing by Natano Keni, James Nokise and Pikihuia Haenga. the beautiful onesWritten and Directed by Hone KoukeProduced by Tawata ProductionsMovement by Dolina Wehipeihana & Hone KoukaDesign by K*Saba, Tama Waipara, Johnson Witehira, Wai Mihinui, Jaimee Warda, Sopheak Seng, Laurie Dean 27 June – 11 JulyCirca One World Premiere A hyperreal digital love story.  the beautiful ones is a story of young love.  A promise Hana made to Ihia – a promise to return.  Will she return?  Will love triumph over temptation?  the beautiful ones bursts from the late night sheen of a city club.  Beautiful bodies & vital vocals.  Defiant dance moves and the meaning of love.  the beautiful ones features a dance floor for the audience to share the vibe.  From the company that brought you I, George Nepia, Sunset Road and TŪ. Warning: Contains Big Beats & Dance Music. The Ugly OneWritten by Marius von Mayenburg; translated by Maja ZadaDirected by Giles Burton11 July – 8 AugustCirca Two A scalpel sharp, absurd comic fantasy about beauty. Lette thinks he is normal, but when he discovers that he is, in fact, unbelievably ugly he turns to a plastic surgeon for help. Suddenly he is the most beautiful man in the world. Fame and riches follow; women want to sleep with him and men want to look like him. And with surgery they can look like him. Exactly like him. Received around the world to great acclaim, The Ugly One now receives its NZ premiere. With writer von Mayenburg’s star very much in the ascendant, this show is a must see.   "A stripped bare satire on the nature of beauty. If you are interested in theatrical story-telling see this show." – The Times (UK) “Savage social satire … A small but perfectly formed play” – The Guardian (UK) “The concept is simple but the philosophical implications are profound: What if money could buy the perfect face? It’s The Elephant Manmeets The Matrix” – Post City (Toronto) The Hound of the BaskervillesBy Arthur Conan DoyleAdapted for the stage by Clive FrancisDirected by Ross Jolly25 July – 29 AugustCirca One Sherlock Holmes vs the Powers of Evil A bloodcurdling howl is heard across a cold, moonlit moor; the horrifying, spectral hound has claimed another victim … When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on his remote estate, in eerie, seemingly supernatural circumstances, Sherlock Holmes, the legendary, world-famous detective and his assistant, the ever-reliable Dr Watson are called upon to unravel the extraordinary mystery of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous and most popular story, in an exhilarating adaptation by Clive Francis (Our Man in Havana), sees four actors playing all the parts in this gripping, classic tale of terror. A thrilling, ripping good night of fun, drama and suspense! “A cracking good yarn … Excellent ... Highly enjoyable." - Daily Telegraph "Chillingly atmospheric... this fun show will really thrill. " - The Observer Downton AdlibBy The Improvisors2 August – 27 SeptemberCirca Two Quality costume drama – only funnier. An aristocratic English family and their servants face the challenges of life in the early twentieth century. A cast of Wellington’s top improv comedians face the challenge of making up a brand new episode every night. We supply the characters, you supply the key plot ingredients and the result is costume drama as you’ve never seen it before. Love, laughter, passion and a wide range of hats! The Travelling SquirrelBy Robert LordDirected by Susan Wilson5 September – 3 OctoberCirca One NZ Premiere “We that live to please must please to live” – Dr Samuel Johnson From Robert Lord, the author of the award-winning and much loved Joyful & Triumphant, comes The Travelling Squirrel, a romp through the fickle nature of the entertainment industry. Protagonist Bart compares his struggles as a writer to those of Roger the squirrel, a misunderstood painter. Hilarious and packed with larger-than-life characters, this play is a testament to Lord’s ability to write brilliant comedy.  A satire tempered with deep affection, The Travelling Squirrel depicts a dangerous world in which fame and fortune are always temptingly just around the corner “This is surely one of Lord’s funniest plays, just as it is one of the most moving”   – Philip Mann “For two decades, Robert Lord’s plays astonished and entertained theatre audiences with their sharp satire and flamboyant farce.”  - David O’Donnell The BookbinderWritten by Ralph McCubbin HowellDirected by Hannah SmithPresented by Trick of the Light Theatre25 September – 10 OctoberCirca TwoThey say you can get lost in a good book. But it's worse to get lost in a bad one... From award-winning company Trick of the Light Theatre (The Road That Wasn’t There) comes a story of mystery, magic and mayhem. The Bookbinder weaves shadowplay, paper art, puppetry, and music into an original dark fairytale in the vein of Coraline and Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell. An inventive one-man performance for curious children and adventurous adults... suitable for children 8+. Best Theatre and Best in the Fringe - NZ Fringe 2014 International Excellence Award - Sydney Fringe 2014 "Spell-binding storytelling at its purest and best..." - Theatreview"Absorbing and imaginative… a small gem of theatre" - The Dominion Post "Tuned to perfection... Bookworms of all stripes and ages will adore it."- The Age, Melbourne For more information visit www.trickofthelight.co.nz GiftedBy Patrick EvansBased on the novel of the same nameDirected by Conrad Newport10-31 OctoberCirca One It is 1955 and beyond the famous hedge something magic is about to happen. In his beloved garden the “Father of the Nations Fiction” Frank Sargeson is waiting for his old mate Harry to turn up. Instead, he encounters a young woman fresh from a mental institution. Her name is Janet Frame. Their world is about to change forever. From the director of Rita and Douglas comes this very funny and profoundly moving story. Touring the Arts Festivals in 2013 to incredible reviews and widespread acclaim it’s now Wellington’s chance to experience this celebrated New Zealand production. “Like an exquisite work of art, the play Gifted is honed to near perfection … go and see this gorgeous production.” – Taranaki “Superb performances by all … it is thrilling … it makes for astonishingly joyful, mischievous theatre.” – Dunedin “Sheer quality” – Christchurch Adventures in PianolandWritten and performed by JAN PRESTONDirected by GAYLENE PRESTON15-17 OctoberCirca Two How I learned to stop worrying and love the piano The irrepressible Jan Preston comes clean on her longstanding and sometimes bumpy road to piano stardom. Jan will spin yarns from dives in Soho to the concert halls of Europe, to stealing a piano in broad daylight from the 1860s Bar in Lambton Quay. She will accompany herself, of course, on Circa Theatres' lovingly cared for piano.  You will hear Chopsticks as you have never heard it, with Jan's original songs and compositions providing perfect counterpoint to her story. AcheBy Pip HallDirected by Lyndee-Jane Rutherford24 October – 21 NovemberCirca Two Fate, chance and rooftop romance.  Ache is a fateful comedy about two thirty-somethings trying to find their way through modern love, materialism and the Wellington dating-drought. At a time when we are promised happiness with the swipe of a card or the swig of a bottle, true joy and connection seems almost impossible. At crossroads and rooftop gardens, fate decides to surprise them. At last, connection, chemistry, charisma. He’s perfect, she’s gorgeous. Only timing’s not as kind – he’s taken. Is it just not meant to be or will she push timing aside and take fate into her own hands?   Achingly-funny and heart-breakingly sad, Ache is a modern story of love, timing and seizing the day.Don’t miss this WELLINGTON PREMIERE, finally on our stage after its SOLD-OUT season at Christchurch’s Court Theatre. All Our SonsBy Witi IhimaeraPresented by Taki Rua5-14 NovemberCirca One World Premiere Courage and loyalty is tested in this new play by Witi Ihimaera “Once they fought each other, now shoulder to shoulder they fight together” Two generations go to war while a third fights a battle to keep her family at home. Waru Mataira and his two sons Tai and Rangi volunteer to represent the Maori iwi of Mataira Mountain in the New Zealand Native Contingent to Gallipoli. Under the guidance of their Pakeha leader Alec Campbell, they join the battle on the western front as part of the newly titled Pioneer Battalion where their courage is tested and so too are their loyalties. Taki Rua Productions presents the World Premiere of All Our Sons, a ground-breaking play by Witi Ihimaera. Roger Hall’s Robin Hood, the PantomimeSongs by Paul Jenden and Michael Nicholas WilliamsDirected by Susan Wilson21 November – 20 DecemberCirca One There he is! Oh no he isn’t. Oh, yes he is!! With loaded bow behind a treeYou never know where he will beHe moves like velvet, sleek and svelteAround the Wellington town belt His eye is quick, his aim is sureHe robs the rich to feed the poorHe’s always on the side of goodThe hero known as Robin Hood He lies in wait for those who ownA big estate and second homeFor millionaires who don’t pay tax  For bankers who don’t watch their backs You’ll see them suffer their defeatIn Circa’s brand new summer treatA pantomime for one and allIt’s Robin Hood by Roger Hall “fabulously fast and furious ... A treat”  - Capital Times “ACTION-PACKED… TONS OF FUN FOR YOUNG AND OLD!”  - The Dominion Post A Child’s Christmas in Wales (and other memories of childhood)By Dylan ThomasDramatised and performed by Ray Henwood28 November – 20 DecemberCirca Two What has been described as one of the most magical of Christmas stories is brought to the stage by Ray Henwood. It is rounded out by other memories of childhood, first presented by Dylan Thomas in one of his regular talks on the BBC Welsh Home Service. Thomas had a very happy childhood and so many of his young experiences resonate still with us today.The town of Swansea which is the locale of his stories had changed little by the time Ray was growing up. While Dylan lived in more salubrious surroundings, Ray was a “Sandfields” boy referred to by Dylan- and played in many of the areas described in the stories. It is a truly timeless tale and family celebrations have changed little, even in countries that celebrate a summer Christmas. Dylan’s work brings back memories that resonate so well with young and old. it is a true celebration of our experiences growing up. www.circa.co.nz
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    Circa Theatre, Taranaki Street, Te Aro, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, 6011, New Zealand (OpenStreetMap)