July Update
Our July Newsletter is here… have you subscribed yet?
Welcome to our July update
We’re excited to share some updates on the work we’ve been doing since our last update in May. We are so thankful for every single person who has been keeping us in your prayers!
Our "Warmth for Winter" blanket drive
As winter deepens, more people in our community are facing homelessness and sleeping rough. In response, our team launched a Winter Warmth appeal to support whānau doing it tough, gathering sleeping bags, warm clothing, tents and self-care items.
Over 5,000 people viewed our callout, and our Manurewa community responded with incredible generosity. The garage overflowed with donations, and we raised over $1,800 to purchase essential supplies. Our volunteers – all current MADE to Lead participants, and all parents or grandparents – then distributed the packs in partnership with Shining Light Community Trust. Thanks to this collective effort, at least 25 people sleeping rough in Manurewa are now sleeping warmer.
But the deeper impact goes beyond this. Our volunteers have been activated through this experience. They are now connecting with other local groups who are working on the streets, and taking initiative to continue and grow this mahi. Just because we can’t solve the whole problem of homelessness doesn’t mean we can’t do something. And this is just the beginning.
MADE to Lead: Empowering emerging leaders
The core of our work is our 2-year community leadership programme that empowers emerging leaders to build resilience, grow, learn & lead change for their whānau and wider community. This programme backs participants with training, mentoring, connection and support, helping them build the skills, confidence and networks they need to become changemakers. We have recently renamed the programme “MADE to Lead” (Make a Difference Every Day). 38 people are currently enrolled; 61% are parents with 97 tamariki and mokopuna benefiting as their parents are empowered with support & coaching. We continue to gather and train our community leaders weekly...
Introducing some new participants in MADE to Lead:
Melissa joined our community leadership programme at the start of the year, together with her 18-year-old daughter Nevaeh. For the last five years she has been leading a grassroots organisation called Pro Love, supporting young mothers across New Zealand. They also have a haven home in Manurewa for mums and bubs who need respite or emergency accommodation. Melissa is a mum herself, with eight children aged between 3 and 24 and one granddaughter. She had previously been feeling isolated and unsupported, but now says she feels like she has “found her tribe” and has a renewed sense of purpose.
We support Melissa with coaching, mentoring, manaaki and access to resources. We are also planning to run a tailored wellbeing workshop for her young mums to help them address past trauma and begin a healing journey which will benefit them and their babies’ future.
"Finding this group has been such a huge blessing. I had been praying for solid leaders I could learn from, be mentored by, and grow alongside—and then I found my tribe. I was hungry to grow, to soar, to share the gifts God has given me. I longed for a team to pour into, and one that would also pour into me—and that’s exactly what this group is." (Melissa)
Ali joined our leadership programme at the start of this year. He is is father to 5 boys, plus a grandson and baby granddaughter as well. Ali’s dream for a long time has been to use his carving skills to reach rangatahi but he didn’t know how to get there. He says he had felt lost for so many years but now he “has found his safe place”. He feels supported and is growing in confidence, and has even started writing songs again. We will support him to fulfill his dream.
(One of our generous donors has supplied Ali with a laptop - thank you!!!)
“Being in this community leadership programme has been awesome, so grateful. I am the quiet type – hard to open up to people, but this programme has made me feel safe, comfort, healing in myself and has driven me to push more to help our community. I am a carver and I’m planning to use my skills with the community. So thankful to be in this programme. Where I come from we say Atāwai wōlō.” (Ali)
*Atāwai wōlō means “a huge thank you” in the Pukapukan language. Pukapuka is part of the Cook Islands
Introducing the Manaaki Collective
The Manaaki Collective is our growing network of grassroots community groups, volunteers and MADE to Lead graduates. It’s all about collaboration - working together on projects that meet real community needs, sharing resources, and looking after the people doing the mahi so they’re not doing it alone.
Manaaki Collective initiatives:
Whānau Support Groups: These are led by our graduates in their homes and community venues; each has its own flavour and focus. Whānau come together to share kai, find belonging, support, accountability and purpose.
Wellbeing Workshops: These trauma-informed workshops are delivered in partnership with our graduates and community partners to meet the unique needs of the whānau they work with e.g. young mums, rangatahi, or whānau with gang-related backgrounds.
"Caring for the Carers": Workshops and support for those doing high-trust, high-stress mahi in the community, helping prevent burnout and reduce isolation.
Community Action: Mobilising volunteers and networks for crisis response, community events, and practical awhi for whānau in hardship e.g. our Winter Warmth blanket drive for whānau sleeping rough.
"Stories of Hope" Digital Project: Shining a light on local heroes and giving people a platform to share their stories of healing and transformation to inspire others that change is possible.
Kasalina's Story of Hope:
There are so many untold stories from our community waiting to be shared. We are pleased to share with you our very first video in our #StoriesOfHope series - Kasalina's story.
Like so many others in our community, Kasalina was once in a very dark place, feeling hopeless and overwhelmed. She wanted to share her story to let others know there is hope for change...
“The community leadership programme has walked me through a journey of inner healing. I’m thankful there were leaders who cared for us, who put in their time and effort and resources. If it wasn’t for them I probably would've been stuck in my past… We are being equipped to go out there and be the love and light…”
(Kasalina)
Whānau support groups
We have a growing number of whānau support groups being led by our graduates, meeting in homes (or community venues) across Auckland and ranging in size from 8 to 30 people.
One of these groups is led by Rob Brown, one of our graduates and core team members who has a powerful story of transformation. Rob is co-leading with Tane, a current participant in our leadership programme. They started with six people, meeting fortnightly and taking turns to host at each other’s homes. They share kai together and encourage each other on the journey as they move away from their past. Word has spread quickly and now they have over 25 regularly. There’s a mix of ages - parents, teenagers and kids - so the group feels like whānau. We will deliver a tailored workshop for Rob and Tane’s group later in the year, and they have their eye on a some people they want to recommend for our MADE to Lead programme in 2026.
Wondering why you should support Whakamana Ora?
Here's a video from one of our “champions for change”, Charles Ma, an entrepreneur and community builder and founder of MADE, who believes our work is worth investing in…
A huge thank you to our supporters!
Thank you to every donor & grant funder who is supporting us (including those who want to stay anonymous). You are helping make this work possible. Ngā manaakitanga me ngā mihi nui!
