Cardinal John Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington, celebrated Mass on Tuesday May 10 to launch a Wellington Archdiocese initiative, Benefit Impact.
Benefit Impact assists and advocates for those in the Wellington region on a benefit.
St Joseph’s Parish in Upper Hutt will welcoming beneficiaries to the event being hosted by the parish from 10-13 May.
Benefit Impact is jointly supported and run by Wellington Catholic Social Services, Hutt Valley BEST (Benefit Education Service Trust), and Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand.
Benefit Impact makes sure families living in poverty are receiving all the assistance available to them.
“We know that many families in our parishes and communities face real material hardship and often find it very difficult to ask for help,” says Dew.
“We see this as a very practical way to assist and also to better get to know people in need.”
People receiving a social welfare benefit will be able to check their benefit details with a trained benefit advocate.
Those seeking help are invited to visit the parish between 10am and 2pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, 10-11 May.
Where it is helpful, beneficiaries may be asked to come back for an appointment with Work and Income staff on Thursday and Friday, 12-13 May.
Hutt Valley Work and Income offices are putting on additional staff for the week in anticipation of the Benefit Impact event.
Dew says the Archdiocesan Benefit Impact is a contribution to the Jubilee of Mercy called by Pope Francis this year.
“By reaching out to struggling households in our communities, we are being true to our mission to become a ‘poor church for the poor’.”
Source
- Supplied: caritas.org.nz
- Image: caritas.org.nz
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