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March 2002 - Hilary Price
Week 1:
WOW! This has been an incredible month! Jettisoned from what I thought
was a busy life into tracking on what seems like rocket-riding on jet
boosters headed for Mars! ? ! Vodafone New Zealand Foundation –
you are AWESOME! I just can’t believe there is a huge corporation
out there that cares enough to want to empower grassroots folk within
communities to make a difference. With the awe of this comes a huge sense
of responsibility and some inadequacy too. I guess I’m just human!
First week of March was taken up with sorting heaps of paper work out – yuk! A necessary evil. Meetings with CYFS - wonderful to have the Tauranga site supporting our initiative. CYFS stands for Child Youth and Their Families Services, which operates within the Department of Social Welfare. It’s their responsibility to ensure, in accordance with the CYFS Act of 1989, that the wellbeing of children, young people and their families is protected and upheld. They will be referring children in need of care to us, and we will work together with them to care for children at risk.
Vodafone flew me to Auckland for a technology training afternoon, which was fabulous. It was terrific to meet with the other winners (except for poor old Graham who was convalescing having removed the top of his finger in a gardening accident). Learnt heaps – came away with tons of ‘goodies’.
My largest initial challenge is funding for this brand new charity. So met with the Donations Officer for Bay of Plenty Community Trust in regard to our application for funding for a 10-seater van to transport the children. Have got some support from Pacific Toyota who are selling to us at cost. Visited the house that will be the 1st Foster Home of it’s kind for Homes of Hope, and the 1st of its kind in NZ! We secured the offer to purchase this home last November. Thankfully our Landscape Gardner and Interior Designer have both volunteered their services, as there’s a large amount of work to do making the home livable for our 1st clients in May Was SO exciting to see the home again and realize how absolutely perfect it is for the job it’s required to do! 7 bedrooms, 2 lounges, large kitchen, dining room and conservatory, 3 bathrooms, ann office, on a double section – and a double garage which we want to convert into a rumpus room. Check out the pics! Tons of beautiful trees and very central to the city – a miracle really. Also met with our business mentor and strategist. This will happen fortnightly. An incredible gift to us – thank you Alan.
Week 2:
The major for this week was the trip to Wellington. Colleen and I –
(Colleen and I are the founding Trustees for Homes of Hope) wanted to
meet with Parliamentarians and CYFS governance to discuss our initiatives.
Plus we attended the “Breakthrough 2003” Conference - an annual
conference run by the Elim International City Church in Wellington with
a strong focus on community initiatives within New Zealand.
Unfortunately Steve Maharey, Minister for Social Services, was not available.
However we gave his office all the details on why a new model for foster
homes is so important to the future of NZ kids and we will be following
this up. We saw a Contract Specialist in the CYFS head office and came
out totally drained and somewhat disillusioned and shell-shocked! It is
obviously not as easy as one might think to put forward alternative foster-care
models. No, they didn’t welcome us with open arms but rather challenged
us on our assumptions and plans. It is very evident that it is the fiscal
policy from Wellington which is the bottom line, governing what happens
at site (regional) level. This is very sobering and hugely distressing
for all those who are trying to work at local levels with their hands
tied. That’s where we come in – ta daaaa - she says with her
puppy dog-ears still cocked! We were down … But not for long!
Despite this daunting meeting, we made some very strategic contacts, which will assist us in the road ahead and we will be able to build on these.
Week 3:
Continue working on Funding Applications. Also dealing with printers re
business cards, brochures etc. Finalising the mortgage funding with the
bank and all the relevant docs with the lawyers – Mackenzie Elvin
Solicitors who are donating all of their services – fantastic. Attended
more CYFS training – on Attachments this time. Also attended a Management
Training seminar dealing with strategies of empowering and communicating
with staff and personnel.
The MOST NB occasion was taking possession of our home on Friday 21 March 2003 – momentous! We decided to throw an impromptu pizza party to celebrate and had about 30 folk bowl in for this – pics below!
Saturday 22 March 2003 had our first Working Bee – incredible. SO encouraging to have so many folk come in, roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. Heaps of work done both inside the house and in the garden. It’s transforming already!
Week 4:
Quotations in earnest for the upgrades internally and the fencing. Had
our Orientation Evening with volunteers and caregivers. A very special
night where the vision and dream was shared – lots of passion and
lots of heart amongst the folk. Had another training day at CYFS –
this time on Working with Natural Families, Trauma and Abuse Indicators.
Attended a management breakfast with Charles Donoghue a performance psychologist.
He has offered his services to speak for us at a fund-raiser to our business
community. Yay!
Had our application to the Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust approved for our whiteware to the value of $5,000 - yippee!
Another Working Bee on Saturday – this will be the trend from now on. More painting and gardening, laughs and camaraderie – special times.
Today – 31 March:
Met with CYFS again and this time Rob (Harley) was there. Rob is making
a documentary on the journey that each of the 4 Vodafone World of Difference
winners are experiencing over the next 12 months. Our meeting was to discuss
the ways in which to appropriately document and film the children in the
home (potentially a sensitive and private issue). What a great meeting
though – wonderful, positive collaboration. So good to be involved
in something which has a positive focus – imparting hope to others
– together we can do this! Rob came to the house and did some filming
– oops – feel SO vulnerable in front of the camera! What a
challenge!
Summary
So far it’s been hugely daunting, exciting, exhausting, challenging.
A real roller coaster of emotions from day to day, hour to hour. Constantly
needing to keep the big picture in mind and remind myself that it’s
one step at a time. Want it all happening now and at times quite frustrated
with the process! But then to think we’ve only had the house for
just over a week – it’s looking good!?
SO looking forward to the training of staff and volunteers, which begins 7 April. Itchy to have more of the show on the road – with our babies in-house – but realise the foundations are just as important as the building blocks. Growing heaps. Family somewhat stretched and coming to terms with the reality of what this commitment means. Struggling to find the balance there. Grateful to be on this wonderful journey – knowing and believing beyond all doubt that it is indeed going to make the world of difference.
Hilary
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