Very pleased to say I met with the Family / Whanau Coordinator at Equip (mental health provider) the other day. She is keen to give care kits to members of the WAVE suicide bereavement support groups that are being run later this month on the Shore and in a couple of months' time in Rodney.
Things have been quiet over the Christmas and New Year period. I hope all of you had a peaceful, happy holiday season. Some of the ordered products (books and CDs) for the kits have arrived and some are still on order. I have compiled kits that I plan to give to Equip who run WAVES bereaved by suicide support groups in the North Shore & Rodney areas of Auckland. I am emailing the contact person today to confirm a time to meet and will keep you all updated. Thanks for your generous contributions. Please remember to spread the word about this cause. From Gemma xo
Been busy buying products for the care kits - gift bags, tissues, candles, journals, drawing pads, pens, and meal replacement sachets. Thanks to donors' generosity, the energy drinks, snacks and colour pencils are taken care of. I've got an excellent book on suicide grief and a relaxation CD on order from Fishpond.co.nz. And... was interviewed by Ada Tso of WTV, No. 1 Chinese Media in New Zealand about the care kit project! It is likely to air tonight. I will post further information here about it in due course.
I've exchanged emails today with the Family / Whanau Facilitator Marina Young at Equip - http://www.equip.net.nz/ Marina has expressed enthusiasm to enable attendees of WAVE suicide bereavement support groups run by Equip to receive Care Kits. Marina and I will meet in mid-late January 2014 to discuss this further. The WAVE groups run from February to March on North Shore of Auckland and April to May in Rodney. I will keep you posted.
Hello all - Further to my post about possible defamatory comments, the manager of the service followed up with me. Her message was very positive and the matter has been put to rest. Thank you for your messages of support.
Hello all It is with sadness that I post this message, but I must, to protect my reputation and the reputation of this fundraiser. Here is an email I sent a local bereavement service, after a friend who lost her son to suicide messaged me yesterday: Dear DELETED My name is Gemma Claire. I had email contact with DELETED a little while ago about a fundraiser I have set up to support people bereaved by suicide: Care Kits for People Bereaved by Suicide - https://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/carekits4suicidebereaved I have emailed individuals and organisations connected with grief and suicide throughout New Zealand and internationally to promote my cause. I also had an article in my local paper. Although progress has been slow, I am deeply appreciative of the people and companies who have thus far donated money, time and support (which you can't place a dollar value upon). Of course, if people are not interested, they don't need to engage with my cause. I say this because I received some disquieting news today. A friend of mine (whom I won't name out of respect for her privacy) told me that staff connected with the SERVICE NAME DELETED said disparaging things about me and my Care Kits cause at a recent suicide bereavement support group. She mentioned the names DELETED and DELETED. Apparently, the suggestion was that because my cause is not a registered charity, I am using funds improperly and cannot be trusted. If these statements have been made, I am extremely hurt. I lost a dear friend to suicide earlier this year. I found him when he was critically injured and visited him regularly in hospital until he passed away seven weeks after his self-harm. Suicide loss caused me so much grief (to the point where I experienced suicidal ideation myself) and affects at least 60 people per week in New Zealand. Every 40 seconds, someone in the world dies by suicide, devastating at least 12,960 people per day globally. I would never use funds improperly. To do so would disrespect the memory and soul of my friend lost to suicide, the memories and souls of all suicide victims, and the grief of the bereaved. All donors are aware that I have never purported to be a charity. I am just a regular person, trying to make a difference. That is the point of Givealittle - individuals can fundraise for things they are passionate about. In the interest of transparency, I post regular updates on the Givealittle site and on the Facebook site about how funds are used. I explained to my supporters that the first lot of money ($510) came in recently and the rest would be paid to me in mid-January 2014. I will then compile the kits and keep all supporters posted about exactly how they are distributed. I sincerely hope that this is all just a misunderstanding. My expectation would be that all efforts to support vulnerable people would be supported. I understand people might be wary about donating to just any cause. However, as explained, I have repeatedly made my intentions plain to current and prospective supporters. I have a personal and professional reputation to uphold. If I hear of further defamatory comments, I will have no choice but to seek legal advice. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Gemma
Thanks so much to Maire Vieth of the Devonport Flagstaff for the great article about Care Kits (06.12.13). I just wanted to make one clarification - The article states that I telephoned the ambulance after my friend self-harmed (he died several weeks later). I telephoned the mental health team and Police many times over the weekend during which he was acutely mentally unwell, in the lead-up to his self-injury. However, I didn't phone the ambulance - an unidentified person(s) did. I'm posting this in the interest of accuracy. Oh, and by the way - big thanks to Tasti and Red Bull for agreeing to donate products for the Care Kits. Their support is awesome and very much appreciated!
Thank you to STAEDTLER for your generous donation of many packets of coloured pencils for the care kits. These are for people who like to express intense emotions through art. Your generosity is appreciated.
http://welding81.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/care-kits-for-people-bereaved-by-suicide/ and http://www.engagenz.co.nz/?p=5538
An article will appear in my local paper soon about this cause. Hopefully, it will generate interest and much needed (and much appreciated!) donations :-)
Thank you very much to Mich, Suzi and all the latest donors. Your kindness is remarkable :-)
A progress update on what happens to funds raised through https://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/carekits4suicidebereaved Givealittle holds funds in a Trust account. They are paid out to cause owners (me in this case) monthly, between 20th and 25th. The payout includes donations for the month prior. This means the $370 raised so far (thank you very much!) and upcoming November donations will be paid in December. Therefore, I can start putting together Care Kits in late December / early Jan 2014. Here is more info: https://givealittle.zendesk.com/entries/22160947-How-does-the-donation-process-work-
Thank you all for your donations :-) Your generosity is awesome. Remember to share the link with your friends, family, colleagues, etc. https://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/carekits4suicidebereaved xox
Awful news about deaths of two 15-year-old girls in Flaxmere http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/9388081/Pupils-deaths-spark-crisis-meetings Thoughts go out to everyone affected by these tragic deaths.
Thank you so much Sarah and Lynx for your donations :-) Your kindness is very much appreciated. Please share this link with people you know https://www.givealittle.co.nz/cause/carekits4suicidebereaved
Wow, just received the first donation. Thank you Angus McDonald for your generosity :-)
