By Six
Wellington welcomed us with a whirlwind of charm and a hurricane of kindness.
I was immediately struck by Wellingtonians’ generally happy demeanour; despite the challenging weather, people are cheerful, and total strangers say kia ora.
Maybe it is my utterly inappropriate cotton frock and Pentax pendant that makes me look like an Auckland tourist, or maybe it is my fashion-forward ensemble that makes me look like a transsexual time traveller from 1972. Either way, I felt welcome and comfortable in gingham in Wellywood.
As I huddled ‘neath a street lamp, I lit a cigarette and pulled my collar to the cold and damp.
I contemplate the cigarette in my hand. An addiction that costs me more than food. I know I’m an addict, but no addict ever asked for an addiction.
Part of my trip is about learning more about addiction, mental health, and the drivers of poverty.
I’m curious to visit Te Pā Maru, Aotearoa’s first Residential Alcohol Harm Reduction Service, where alcoholics can imbibe in a controlled environment.
We are looking forward to a tour of the new Wellington City Mission building and checking out Wellington City Mission’s social supermarket.
But first, we meet Wellington City Missioner Murray Eldridge, who is our host for our visit to the Tā te Manawa community lounge. Tā te Manawa translates to ‘where the heart breathes.’ It is a place that provides food, creates connections, and fosters community. It is a place where people can connect with dignity and respect.
“Isn’t it sad,” says Murray, “that the Wellington City Mission has been operating for over 120 years and we are still needed more than ever. We have an aspiration that one day we won’t be needed.”
The Wellington City Mission delivers innovative and practical social solutions for disadvantaged communities.
Upon entering Tā te Manawa, I was offered a barista-made latte.
The atmosphere was jovial.
A man sat playing piano and singing songs.
After a brief kōrero with Murray in the St Thomas Chapel, we head to the social supermarket next door.
“The idea is to give people a chance to shop the way they want to shop for things they need,” says Murray. “To be offered a trolley to be filled without constraint is simply magic. People can shop with a series of points and stay within a budget, which is what we all have to do.”
Wellington has similar problems to Auckland, Whangārei, Hamilton, and everywhere else we’ve been. But Murray and his team are thinking outside the box and trying new and innovative ways to give the impoverished hope and dignity.
The Wellington City Mission was gifted a building in 2020. The building is now called Te Pā Maru. Te Pā Maru translates to ‘shelter along the pathway.’
Te Pā Maru is a first for the capital and a first for the country.
“There were a group of people who weren’t being attended to by the community, and that was the people who have alcohol use disorder. If you can’t be sober or abstinent, there is nowhere for you in the city,” says Murray. “So we started what is New Zealand’s first residential alcohol harm reduction service.”
The idea is to provide a safe space for chronic alcoholics where they can drink in a controlled environment—a wet house.
Our hosts, Maria, Matt, and Emma, say that by providing a regulated consumption schedule, they break the boom-and-bust cycle of addiction, and residents often reduce consumption on their own accord.
“With the right support, people can change,” says Matt.
Residents purchase beverages from an on-site dispensary, and staff distribute drinks according to a defined schedule and amount.
Ian is a resident who says he has cut down his drinking since being in the residence from three litres of wine per day to eight cans of beer.
“I lost my home through excessive drinking. I lost my father, and I lost my nephew. I’m here now. It’s probably the best environment I could be in. The ball’s in our court when you’re here,” says Ian.
His health is improving. He no longer has to use a walking frame to walk and has reconnected with his art.
“This is a place where people can reconnect with things that maybe they haven’t done for years,” says Emma.
Wellington City Mission is also moving to new premises, Whakamaru. The Māori words whaka and maru mean to give shelter to or safeguard.
Although Tā te Manawa is a vibrant social hub, the building is tired and no longer fit for purpose.
Murray says they need to maintain the vibe of Tā te Manawa.
“Our whole model of operation is based on the idea that we walk alongside people,” says Murray. “We build relationships. We don’t fix anyone. People heal and fix themselves. Everyone should have the fullness of life irrespective of what that looks like.”
Whakamaru provides 35 long-term transitional housing apartments, a medical centre, a sacred space, a ‘contribute-what-you-can’ public café and laundry and showers available to all.
Whakamaru brings the community together in one place. Support staff are available 24/7 and on-site at all times.
Whakamaru opens to the public on Monday November 18th.
Produced by Magnetic Pictures for TP+
Marketing support from Woolworths NZ
Made with the support of NZ On Air
