The Aunties

$112,448 donated

Given by 931 generous donors in 2 years

The Aunties provide sustained support to a refuge in Auckland and also help bring joy and dignity to the lives of vulnerable people.

Auckland

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We have opened new pages, please go to:

General Donations - https://givealittle.co.nz/org/theaunties

Aunties Shop - https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/theauntiesshop

Thank you

WHO WE ARE:

Almost five years ago, Aunty Jackie became involved with a women’s refuge, getting clothes and baby gear for the women. Her involvement with them grew and to make it sustainable, she had to involve other people. These people are The Aunties. The Aunties now support a number of women's refuges in South Auckland, as well as countless women in the community who are referred to Aunty Jackie.

The Aunties are a group of people who for various reasons - empathy, experience, and a sense of social justice - seek to provide support and be kaitiaki to the vulnerable, particularly those who have experience domestic violence.

The Aunties believe everyone has the right to be safe, to have shelter, to be fed, to be loved, to dream, to read, to write, to have their say, and to be heard. Where any of those things are missing, the Aunties mission is to help provide them - the practical things, and also in terms of advocacy and pastoral care.

The Aunties believe in manaakitanga - protecting to mana of the people they help so that they can find their way towards living independently, and with dignity and joy.

Givealittle is a big part of that. Thanks to the Spark foundation, and the Aunties and their friends and family, from September 2014, we have raised - via this page and the original one - and spent almost $80,000 on supporting the refuge, and vulnerable people in the community.

If you ever have any questions, Aunty Jackie can be contacted via email: whaeapower@aunties.co.nz

Or you can follow her on twitter

@whaeapower

A WORD FROM A REFUGE CO-ORDINATOR:

"Over the last year, the refuges I run have accommodated 56 mothers and 84 children through two refuges, all escaping some sort of abuse or are homeless. Their stay at the refuges has lightened their load, in order to make the right decisions for their future. The refuges aim to provide immediate provision of:

- groceries

- PJs

- undies

- toiletries.

They may have other needs such as:

- ID needed for themselves or children for applications

- drivers license

- mobile phones and credit for these

- school provisions for the childrens’ new school such as uniforms, stationary, and schoolbags.

When they leave, they are taken to shop for much needed kitchenware, bedding and small appliances for their new home.

On behalf of the refuge staff, board and refuge families, we would like to thank all who have given a little as it all adds up to make the difference to these families lives one at a time.

Your support is invaluable, and we couldn't do this work without it.

We thank you."

Jackie Clark's involvement (page creator)

Moving to or living in a refuge isn’t easy for women and children who’ve experience domestic violence. We help in practical ways, so they can focus on recovery.

We support five refuges to meet the needs of the women and children. Every month new families arrive and every month refuges are full. We support up to 30 families at any one time.

The donations you make, on Givealittle, are used every month to meet the individual needs of these women and children. This can range from basic things like clothes and toiletries when they arrive, through to glasses or books so kids can achieve at school or drivers licence fees so Mum can get work. When they are ready to leave refuge we help with basic supplies for their new home.

We spend around $4000 every month on needs of refuges, and women in them, and in the community. We couldn’t do this without you.

Aunty Jackie is the Aunty In Charge. She has been doing this for almost five years. Every month The Aunties provide practical support and bring joy and dignity to women and children in five refuges in Auckland. We support them and help meet their needs so that they can heal. This is an ongoing fundraising effort.

Thank you and arohanui.

Other page links

Xmas update 17 December 2017

Hello beloved Aunties - whether you're a new supporter or you've been here from the beginning, so much to tell you.

I won't go into everything that's happened, because there's a lot, but I wanted to address your extraordinary generosity, particularly over the last week.

What you've enabled us to do is put on a banging great Xmas party - costed at $2500 - and buy 50 tubs, and fill them - $2800 - with treat food, and Pak N Save gift vouchers.

Those will be going to 50 families in the Te Whanau Rangimarie community who will be struggling this Xmas.

You have also enabled me to buy 18 pamper gift vouchers for the social workers I work with year round. Many of them have lived in violence and many of them are struggling, too.

And that's just a little bit of what your work has enabled me to do in my work.

Your generosity has never known any bounds. From the early days of us supermarket shopping, to now when I am able to pay for car repairs, oodles of food, and to take teenagers on shopping trips that ease some of their pain. I am eternally grateful, my Aunties. From my heart to yours. Thank you x

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