We are very grateful to all those people who joined us as Helpers for people In Need, and who supported our Facebook Community, throughout the COVID-19 lockdown period. We set up Friends In Need in response to lockdown in New Zealand, to support the vulnerable and elderly in our community. As the period of lockdown evolved, we also began to receive large numbers of calls from people desperate for food, due to job loss or other hardship. Often these people were referred to us by government agencies and other helplines. We supported hundreds of families through this, thanks to the generosity of donations from our supporters. However, as two full-time working mothers, sadly we are not resourced to carry on this initiative long term, nor did we ever intend to. We were pleased to fill a breach at a point in time, when existing agencies were overwhelmed by demand for support.

If you are looking for assistance, you can contact the following agencies:

New Zealand Red Cross for emotional and social support - redcross.org.nz, 0800 RED CROSS

Text 1737 to talk with a trained counsellor for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

St Johns Caring Caller for people feeling isolated and alone - 0800 000 606 Monday-Sunday 7am-7pm

Society of St Vincent de Paul for people in need - contact your local SVDP shop - details at svdp.org.nz/page/our-shops/

City Missions - contact your local city mission (numbers available through your local Councils)

Call the free Government helpline on 0800 779 997

Kia Kaha Aotearoa

~ Stay Safe ~

Bridget & Rachel