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Kia ora
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Welcome to the summer issue of Close to Home. In this issue we share the winning main recipe and announce the winners of the ‘How do you feed a crowd?’ competition; we have great budgeting advice, gardening tips, your summer safety guide, DIY Christmas crackers and a beach scavenger hunt in Treehouse for Tamariki; and wonderful stories from our customers.
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Abridged PDF version translated into te reo Māori, Samoan, Tongan and Chinese.
Read on, or view the full English print version of Close to Home in the link below.
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Contents
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1.
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From refugee to community leader
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2.
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Winners of the ‘How do you feed a crowd?’ recipe competition
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Community comes together for Waiata Wednesdays
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Looking out for each other over the holidays
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5.
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Keeping on top of your rent payments
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6.
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Useful budgeting
information
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7.
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Some free podcasts that can help you on your financial journey
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8.
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Keep cool indoors this summer
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9.
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Te Hotonga Hapori – customer wellbeing study
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10.
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The early stages of a whooping cough
epidemic
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11.
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Ahikura, whānau-centred fire education
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12.
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Our opening hours over the holiday period.
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Manaaki this holiday season –
a message from the Chief Executive
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As I reflect on my first four months at Kāinga Ora, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your warm welcome. I was fortunate enough to meet with some of you over the course of my regional visits and was humbled by the generosity shown by the whānau that welcomed me into their homes and shared stories of their journey with Kāinga Ora. The opportunity to kōrero in this way was invaluable in helping to build my understanding of the impact of our mahi, and what matters most to you, our customers.
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While Kāinga Ora as an organisation is going through change, I want to assure you that our focus remains clear: our customers are at the heart of all we do, and we’re committed to ensuring that you are supported to live well in your home.
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As we look ahead to the New Year, I am excited to plan for the future of Kāinga Ora. I believe that together we can build thriving communities that meet your needs and aspirations.
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This summer, I encourage you to enjoy the season, spend time with family and friends, and travel safely. Let’s also remember to support each other and our community over this time – and a reminder that we are here if you need assistance.
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Meri Kirihimete, ngā mihi o te wā
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Matt Crockett
Chief Executive
Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities
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From refugee to community leader
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Nasra wanted her new neighbourhood to feel safe and welcoming, so she made it her mission to create a friendly community.
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When Nasra and her family moved into their home at a Kāinga Ora complex, they had one big wish – a friendly and supportive community. Now everyone knows the family and pitches in to volunteer at the community events Nasra organises.
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Congratulations to our winners of the ‘How do you feed a crowd?’ recipe competition
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About the winning main recipe
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Lace of New Plymouth impressed us with her twist on the classic bacon and egg pie. She adds mozzarella balls and basil, making it a lot like the Italian folded pizza (calzone).
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Serve with a tangy relish such as balsamic onion, classic tomato or beetroot.
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You can substitute the fresh mozzarella balls with 250g of cubed or grated mozzarella or other cheese of your choice such as gruyere, cheddar or colby, and the fresh basil with store-bought pesto genovese, or pesto dip dotted throughout the bread before rolling.
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You can scale this recipe up easily to feed a big crowd over the holidays. It would make a wonderful main over Christmas or for New Year’s brunch.
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Best side or salad
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$100 gift card and signed copy of Sophie Gray’s Destitute Gourmet – Karaitiana from Napier with his Cucumber and Pineapple Pickle.
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Best dessert
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$100 gift card and signed copy of Sophie Gray’s Destitute Gourmet – Tira- Marie from Auckland with her Chocolate Pudding.
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Best main
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Ninja Air Fryer, signed copy of Sophie Gray’s Destitute Gourmet, and winning recipe shared with readers in Close to Home – Lace from New Plymouth for her Bacon, Egg and Mozzarella Brunch Bread.
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Community comes together for Waiata Wednesdays
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Every Wednesday evening, Tamihana and friends gather to sing waiata, learn about te ao Māori and nurture their growing community.
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With Tamihana (Te Popoto) on guitar, ‘Waiata Wednesday’ usually begins with a rousing version of ‘Toia Mai’, and takes in feel-good classics like ‘Pokarekare Ana’ and SIX60’s hit ‘Pepeha’.
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For Tamihana the weekly get-together at the communal space of a Kāinga Ora complex in Auckland’s North Shore is about sharing and connection.
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“Everyone is welcome, whether you’ve lived here all your life or you’re new,” he says. “That is what this is about. We hang out; we call it whakawhanaungatanga (establishing relationships). We sing waiata, have a laugh and a cup of tea.
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Looking out for each other over the holidays
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Christmas and the summer break can be a difficult time for older people or anyone living alone. Services and family support can get disrupted, and holidays can feel especially lonely for anyone on their own.
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We can all help by keeping an eye out for anyone who may be alone or finding things difficult. Reaching out doesn’t have to be complicated. A chat, a card in a neighbour’s letterbox, or an invitation for a cuppa and a mince pie can make a big difference. If you feel lonely yourself, know that others will be in the same situation.
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Age Concern offers a Visiting Service and groups and activities in many locations across the country. So, if you are over 65 and would like more company, give them a call on 0800 65 2 105 to find out what’s available in your area.
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Keeping on top of your rent payments
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At this time of year, expenses can add up quickly and it’s a good idea to plan ahead to make sure the important things like rent still get paid. Not paying rent can impact your tenancy, so if you’re worried about payments or you’ve fallen behind and want to get back on track, give us a call on 0800 801 601 so we can support you.
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Useful budgeting information
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Managing our money can be tricky – there’s a lot to think about but creating a simple budget can make things easier.
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No matter what situation we’re in, following a budget means we can keep track of all our bills and expenses, and save for a rainy day or the holiday season.
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With these tools, tips and advice, we can take the effort out of looking after our finances.
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Some free podcasts that can help you on your financial journey
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Thrift – RNZ has produced this podcast providing DIY hacks, meal preparation, gardening and practical tips and tricks on how to make your money go further. Spotify | Apple
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Keep The Change – hosted by Luke, a Chartered Accountant, Keep The Change is a weekly podcast created to help Kiwis learn more about financial literacy. Spotify | Apple
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The Happy Saver Podcast – this is hosted by Ruth, a personal finance blogger who talks to Kiwis on their experiences with money, as well as a six-episode explainer series on the fundamentals of budgeting and finance. Spotify | Apple
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Your Garden Coach NZ – learn how to grow your own kai with this podcast. Created in Aotearoa, so relevant to our seasons and conditions. Spotify | Apple
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Hidden Figures – two Māori investors discuss personal finance and investing. Told from a te ao Māori perspective. Spotify | Apple
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Keep cool indoors this summer
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Homes are getting warmer as our summers get hotter. Here are some tips that can help you and your family keep cool during the hot weather.
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Top tips
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To stop your home from getting too hot:
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Open the windows early in the morning while it’s still cool outside and close them again before the warmest part of the day
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Close curtains on sunny windows, leaving windows slightly open behind them
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Use fans by open doors or windows to bring cooler outside air into your home
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Turn your heat pump to cooling mode with the temperature set to 24-25°C, before your home gets too warm. This uses less power than cooling to lower temperatures
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Remember! Turning your heat pump temperature down low and then back up again won’t cool your home faster and will cost you more money
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Te Hotonga Hapori – customer wellbeing study
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The multi-year AUT research programme is now in its third year, examining the public housing customers’ perspective, with some of the results offering valuable insights on how living in a Kāinga Ora home has shaped their wellbeing.
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The research has helped build an understanding of not only the demographic information of the sample group, but also their safety, security, sense of belonging to their community, and overall wellbeing.
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If you’d like to participate in the study, visit tehotongahapori.ac.nz/survey
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The early stages of a whooping cough epidemic
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Health agencies have recently declared that Aotearoa New Zealand is now in the early stages of a whooping cough epidemic, with a nationally coordinated response now in place.
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Whooping cough is a serious infection that causes a long coughing illness. It spreads easily between people. Whooping cough can be very serious for pēpi, tamariki and older adults.
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Whooping cough causes breathing difficulties and severe coughing fits. The cough can go on for weeks or months which is why it is sometimes called the ‘100 day cough’. It’s important to stay home if you are experiencing symptoms to prevent its spread.
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The best form of prevention is through vaccination. Whooping cough vaccines are free for pregnant people, all children under 18 years old, and adults from 45 and 65 years. To book visit bookmyvaccine.health.nz or phone 0800 28 29 26.
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Ahikura, whānau-centred fire education
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Ahikura Whānau-centred Fire Education is a free and confidential programme aimed at tamariki (children) and taiohi (young people) who are overly curious about fire or have undertaken risky fire behaviour. The programme helps educate them about positive and negative effects of fire by using consequence-based education material such as workbooks, photobooks, videos, firefighter experience and storytelling. The content and programme delivery vary according to the age, maturity and cognitive ability of the client and their whānau environment.
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For Ahikura referral support, phone 0800 734 2667 or visit Fire and Emergency's website for more information.
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If you access MyKāingaOra using Spark, Skinny, One NZ, 2degrees, or Warehouse Mobile there are no data charges – whether you’re on a monthly plan or pre-pay. Just ensure you have data turned on when you’re accessing it. Visit my.kaingaora.govt.nz
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Our opening hours over the holiday period
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Our Customer Support Centre will be open for urgent calls only on 25 and 26 December 2024 and 1 and 2 January 2025.
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Emergency calls only – Wednesday 25 December 2024 – Thursday 26 December 2024 and Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 January 2025.
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Non-urgent calls – Normal hours and non-urgent calls resume from Friday 3 January 2025, 8am to 6pm, weekdays.
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Some local offices will
be open for drop-ins
between 10am and 2pm
or by appointment on
weekdays only.
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To confirm if your local office is open, contact the Customer Support Centre on 0800 801 601.
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Note: MyKāingaOra will be closed for general maintenance requests from Friday 20 December 2024 until Monday 6 January 2025.
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