St Vincent de Paul in Taranaki
Have you heard of this Organisation??
They are here in New Plymouth, and they are more than their shop in Fitzroy. In South Taranaki the shop is in High Street, Hawera. These shops are there to help support the amazing work that they do in the community to support those in need – including providing clothing and furniture assistance, providing weekly community meals as well as providing support for individuals and families experiencing hardship.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul is an international Catholic lay organisation inspired by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their Mission is to work to provide person to person, practical and effective help to those in need, sharing their burdens and joys, sewing seeds of hope and promoting human dignity, justice and self-sufficiency, working in a caring and practical manner to promote human dignity and justice through personal contact with those in need.
When I started my investigation for this column the name of the Founder Frederic Ozanam rang a bell and so checked and yes Ozanam house in Palmerston North was the brainchild of Palmerston North society members who when doing their hospital visits realized that there was a need for a home where relatives of out-of-town patients could stay. So in 1967 they purchased a comfortable four bedroomed home a few meters from the hospital and as we know this is still going – now operated by and independent trust board. However, this shows the compassion the Organisation and its people have for others.
In the words of the Founder Federic Ozanam “In my life I want to become better and do a little good”.
Locally here in Taranaki there has been a conference for over 100 years and are very fortunate to have two op shops operated by St Vincent de Paul Hawera and Fitzroy which are both open Monday – Friday 10am – 3.00pm. The funds raised contribute to the amazing work that is done in the community as well as repurpose items for another life.
The community meal on a Tuesday night at St Joseph’s Hall is another project that St Vincent de Paul provides. This is a project that the younger members of the society, young Vinnies participate in, and you can see them at work in the kitchen and serving.
The amazing team also supports other community organisations who are helping those who need extra support. They are always keen to have new people to join the team and there are a variety of skills to be learnt or to be utilized in the work that these amazing people achieve for our community.
If you are interested to learn more about the work of St Vincent de Paul listen to Volly Voices on Access Radio 104.4FM on April 28th at 2pm and repeated on May 5th also at 2pm where Kevin Hartfield - coordinator chats about their work locally.
This can also be listened to after April 30th, 2024 on:
Spotify: open.spotify.com...
Apple Podcast: podcasts.apple.com...
Access Radio website: www.accessradiotaranaki.com...
Volunteering New Plymouth website: www.volunteeringnewplymouth.org.nz...
If you are curious to learn more about any of the activities and / or you are interested in becoming a volunteer with St Vincent de Paul please contact Wendy at Volunteering New Plymouth on 06 758 8986, email: admin@vnp.nz or Ph/Text 022 571 4228 to take the next step.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
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