Help Me Help Others

(Pictured above is me and my daughter, Chloe) The couple I met, are forced to live on the streets, through no fault of their own. Something or a greater power, put them in my path and made me stop to talk with them.

Due to my ill-health, I am unable to help much. Like others, I feel the homeless situation in NZ is overwhelming, especially as it is portrayed in the media. I have now been given the chance to help these two and I will do everything I can to help get them into a home and employment before the worst of the winter sets in.

Since meeting this couple I have realised that the well-intentioned giving of money, blankets, clothing, and food to people on the street is only applying Band-Aids to some of their wounds. I have regularly given to the homeless in our neighbourhood and would merrily go about my day thinking "that was my good deed for today”. I have had a change of heart after meeting this couple. They need so much more than a couple of dollars here and there! Living on the streets takes a heavy toll psychologically and physically on these people, and I feel my heart breaking for all these lost souls.

What is really needed is help advocating for them to tap into the social welfare system. They also need kind, patient people who can take the time to support them by checking up on them, taking them to appointments, etc and most importantly, standing up for them at WINZ . They are so bewildered by their situation that they can’t think straight and often forget appointments, and are then condemned by WINZ because they don’t show up.

They need transport to places where they can take a shower. They need money to do their laundry. They need a postal address for WINZ. The list is endless.

So often homeless people are in a vicious cycle – they need things like ID (requires money for a birth certificate), a phone so the people/organisations helping them can contact them. If these basic things are not available to them, then they can’t get a benefit or other financial help. The meager funds they can scratch up doing window washing, is unlikely to cover much or any of these.

It is often said that the homeless are there by choice. My experience talking to the homeless reveals the truth. These people are so vulnerable that they don’t have the confidence to seek help. The obstacles in their way make any task impossible and they give up trying. Yes, some of them are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but who can blame them? I haven't seen evidence of either alcohol or drug use by this lovely, genuine couple.

They now trust me enough to tell me a little of their story. They were lured to Auckland for him to work at a construction company as a hammer hand. This was a WINZ approved company. At first, things appeared fine and they had a rental home and income. Things went awry for them when she lost her job because of lack of transport. She had been riding to work with a work colleague, who then left for another job. She was left without a means of getting to work, and as her workplace was not accessible by public transport, she was fired when she failed to show up. I don’t know the full story yet of what went wrong for him, but suffice to say that the construction company WINZ originally sent him to work for is now being investigated by WINZ for not paying some of what he was owed. So they lost their home. They had to sell their belongings – he sold his tools. They then ended up on the street with a 13 week stand down from WINZ and $100 emergency fund.

They desperately want to work and are willing to do anything. At the moment, he works tirelessly day and night, in all kinds of weather, washing car windows. That’s a story for another day and relates to the recent Bill going through Parliament to ban window washers. Just a thought for you on that – what choices do the homeless have? Prostitution, robbery, or window washing?

They told me they have to frequently move from the places they sleep because any delinquents (not other homeless) who find out where they sleep will come and steal their belongings while they are sleeping. This couple has made friends with understanding Police officers and security guards. If the Police and security guards know where they are sleeping, they will call past to check on them during the night. In fact, one security guard took them home for breakfast the other morning.

I requested their permission to seek donations on their behalf and their eyes filled with tears. Please help make those tears turn into tears of joy!

To preserve their privacy and dignity, I am not going to photograph or name them at this stage - I shall refer to them as V and L. Please don’t let this stop you opening your hearts to them though.

I must let you know that the little I have been able to do so far has always been met with appreciation by V and L. They can't hug and thank me enough.

Some people have already cautioned me not to be too gullible, and not to get involved. My intuition tells me these are genuine folk who have hit hard times and they are not trying to take advantage of my kindness.

Thanks to our local Labour MP, Louisa Wall, and others in Manurewa, there are ways of getting the homeless into homes. It is thanks to Louisa that I learned where V and L can get help that is beyond my scope. Louisa Wall is a tireless campaigner for the less fortunate, and I have witnessed what she is able to achieve for folk in Manurewa. Join Louisa, my daughter and myself in making a difference!

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for any donation you can give. Even if you are unable to give monetarily, please share with others to spread the word.