Find your way to the moon this Christmas.

Okay my lovely Christmas Chickens….

If Button’s can make it to the moon – I bet you can do something amazing too! 

I wanted to share some information about a wonderful woman who is helping out an independent Woman’s Refuge in Mangere, Auckland.

I have been part of a group over on the twitters, put together by an amazing woman, who you can find on twitter here:

https://twitter.com/GoodeyeMcWoowoowho

She has been putting together Christmas gifts and parcels for the women and their children who are currently in need of so much at Te Whare Marama. They often arrive at the refuge with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

As we trundle through the festive season, I really want to bring this refuge to your attention.  What really struck me from the stories of these amazing women who have some how managed, against the odds, to get themselves and their children to safety, is that when they were asked what they would like, it is the basics that I admit, it is sometimes easy to take for granted.

One woman wanted underwear. She hadn’t had any new bras or knickers for 4 years. That’s what she wanted. Something as simple as bras and undies.

I’ve been struck lately, especially in a political sense, how we’re often bombarded with messages that we shouldn’t rely on others. We are living in a society where some people frown on others for needing help. For needing to use a food bank, for needing to be on a benefit, for not having a job, for not being able to buy their kids shoes.

We take it for granted that these things are accessible and easy to do. We debate the amount of welfare we provide. We debate whether how to measure child poverty. Here. In New Zealand where we ship our beef and lamb and milk and cheese off to the other side of the world. And we think come on, this is New Zealand, for goodness sake. This can’t be right.

But the fact is, there are people in New Zealand struggling. There are kids in New Zealand who have Mums and Dads and Aunties and Uncles and Sisters and Brothers and Grannies and Grandads who love them and care for them and are doing everything in their power to give them the life they need, the life they deserve. They are not doing anything different to you and I. They are trying to get by.

But sometimes they can’t do it by themselves. And neither should they have to. 

Helping each other is part of what makes us human. It’s part of what makes us kind, and loving and caring members of society. It’s how we model to our children how they can be kind and loving and caring members of society.

So, all I ask is that you pop over to Jackie’s blog, and have a read through the posts.

http://goodeyemcwoowoo.wordpress.com/
Perhaps you might find there is something you can offer. Maybe you can send some tubes of toothpaste her way, or maybe you have an old laptop lying around that you don’t need anymore? Or you might be able to provide a pair of shoes or some blankets? Maybe you can send some money so they can buy food and nappies and pay their bills.

Let’s face it folks, if everyone does a little, then it ends up being a whole lot! 
Thanks Chickens. Have a happy day xxx 
Tagged: Christmas, Helping, New Zealand, Presents, Support, Women's Refuge