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Dear ,
As restrictions around Covid-19 ease across New Zealand and life starts to return to normal, we want to update you about our plans for resuming face-to-face contact with all Sweet Louise members.
Our prime concern is for your health and well-being and in this regard we will always ‘play safe’. With this in mind, we will not resume face-to-face activities before 1 July. This means that member meetings, home or hospital visits and other occasions where our Support Coordinators engage with you in person will not take place before 1 July.
While it appears that the spread of Covid-19 might now be limited in New Zealand, we want to minimise your risk of infection. Sweet Louise acted early in the days when Covid-19 was beginning to spread in New Zealand and cancelled our meetings before lock down rules made that compulsory. We believe now it is wise to remain cautious. We want to wait and see what happens as people start to resume everyday activities before we meet with you in cafés and other public spaces.
We know that many of our members are really missing member meetings and the opportunity they provide to catch up with other members. As Support Coordinators, we are missing them too! In the meantime, we are available by phone to support you and will continue to offer member meetings by Zoom – your Support Coordinator will send you details of these.
The circumstances of Covid-19 have provided us with an opportunity to look at how we support members and try new things such as Zoom meetings and this e-newsletter. Perhaps you feel we should retain some of these as part of our services as we settle into a new normal? We’d love to hear from you on these matters and we will be sending out a survey shortly to hear your thoughts.
For now, we hope you will understand our decision to wait a bit longer before meeting with you. We can’t wait to see you again, to share a hug and some special time together.
If you have any questions or feedback, please contact Jenny Cade, Member Services Manager, on 0273718686 or email jenny.cade@sweetlouise.co.nz.
A special gift
Our member Tessa Johnson from Rotorua, who some of you may have met and who we featured in our newsletter in April, brought laughter, hope and inspiration to all who met her.
Sadly, Tessa passed at the end of April, but not before presenting an extremely generous gift to help Sweet Louise continue our work.
Earlier this year, Tessa told us:
“I love being part of Sweet Louise – and the fact that members can get together where nothing else matters. We can share ideas and help each other.
“Humour and kindness have a ripple effect, just like putting a stone in the ocean. How far is it going to go?”
Tessa, we are honoured and grateful for your incredible gift. Thank you so much for all you have done for our Sweet Louise community.
Mailene: My mental health boost!
Our member Mailene Tubman from Auckland was lucky enough to walk the stunning Routeburn Track just before lockdown. Walking the track really brought home to her just how important getting outdoors and being in nature is to her mental health and well-being.
Mailene told us: “I have always enjoyed walking and tramping. But over the years, with work and young children, it had fallen by the wayside.
"In the past year, I have remembered how important being outdoors, walking, and being in nature is to my mental health.
"It is so important in giving me the strength to keep on going, especially when I have two young boys to take care of.
“So last year, along with focussing on my physical health (boosted by the amazing METS programme at Auckland University that I was so fortunate to take part in), I have also been taking more care of my mental health.
“I feel so amazing after spending time amongst trees, rivers and lakes. So I decided to walk the Routeburn Track in March! It was a huge challenge, especially the highest peak – a 1500m hill to scramble up and down. But it was just heaven to be surrounded by stunning scenery, the mountains, waterfalls, rushing rivers, and native plants and birds.
“It was peaceful, and my heart was so full. It felt wonderful that I gave myself those three days to take care of myself.
“I'm hoping to head out on some more bush walks again soon now that we're in Level 2. And hopefully we might be able to do some Sweet Louise catch-ups at some point too. All things that give my mental health a boost!”
A simple bridge
Lesley Narayanan is the Sweet Louise Support Coordinator for Canterbury, West Coast, Otago and Southlands regions. Lesley tells us why she loves her job:
“Through my role with Sweet Louise, I get the absolute privilege of journeying alongside our amazing members, who every day show courage, resilience and compassion for others, even in the face of adversity. I get to listen, talk, laugh with members – and know that what we do at Sweet Louise does makes a real difference.
Lesley (centre) at at member meeting.
“This excerpt from Joy Cowley’s poem The Bridge has greatly influenced my work over the years:
There are times in life when we are called to be bridges,
not a great monument spanning a distance
and carrying great loads of heavy traffic
but a simple bridge to help one person from here to there
over some difficulty
such as pain, fear, grief, loneliness,
a bridge which opens the way
for ongoing journey
"I believe my role as a Sweet Louise Support Coordinator enables me to act as a very simple bridge, supporting members with their ongoing journey."
Member's Facebook group
The Sweet Louise member Facebook group is a private group just for members and Support Coordinators. Anything posted in this group is only visible to members and it is therefore a safe place to share photos, stories, comments, advice and questions. If you haven't joined us yet, we'd love to see you there!
We will be in touch with more news and updates soon.
With very best wishes,
The Sweet Louise Support Coordinator Team: Angela, Anna, Lesley, Nadine, Nicki, Tracy & Jenny
