Homeless people account for about 42,000 New Zealanders and Doug and Krystal say the Orange Sky service is “so helpful” to them. They say great to know they can shower, wash their clothes and “have interesting chats”. Put another way, that’s nearly the same as the population of Whanganui, a couple of thousand fewer than Read more
Everyone deserves access to basic hygiene. With 41,600 Kiwis not knowing where they will sleep tonight, and many not having access to a shower or laundry services demand for Orange Sky services has doubled. And, it needs more volunteers. Orange Sky, offers a mobile laundry and hot shower service working on the streets and in Read more
Volunteering is a growing trend in New Zealand, with opportunities to suit everyone – from teen volunteers to retirees. Volunteer centres throughout the country report a 10 to 25 per cent increases in volunteers, says Leisa de Klerk, who manages Dunedin and Waitaki for Volunteer South, a charitable trust that connects volunteers with volunteering opportunities. Read more
A study by the Human Rights Commission into the working poor shows there are 50,000 working households living in poverty in New Zealand RNZ reports that Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Saunoamaali’i Dr Karanina Sumeo claims the report is the most detailed research ever done on the working poor in this country. She said that as Read more
People living on New Zealand streets are being spotlighted by New Zealand’s Big Sleep Out, hosted, December 7 in Petone. “The homelessness situation (in New Zealand) is a little different to what is happening overseas. “It’s people living in overcrowded houses, cars and garages – not so much people out on the streets (though) there’s plenty of Read more