We are very busy here at the Mission and the demand for our services is growing. Thank God we are still being well supported.
Even though the last few days have been fine I am sick of the cold. It seems to be that after a beautiful summer we are now having awful weather. I can’t remember being this cold for a long while. If this is the case for me then just imagine what it is like for people who have no homes or who live in cold, damp and uninsulated houses. For many people on low incomes just keeping warm is a daily struggle. What choices can they make? Will they try and heat the children’s rooms or, as one Christchurch family did, all move into to one room together. Will they spend money on power or will they get into to debt with the power companies and not pay their bill so that they can meet their other needs, food and rent for example? Will they risk their health by not using heating at all? Being poor means that one’s health is also at risk. This in turn leads to absenteeism at school and work. In turn this leads to more poverty and a lack of opportunities in later life.
Despite the economic upheaval that we are going through, people in a country like New Zealand must have basic human rights which include food, shelter and love. Food gives us internal warmth, shelter gives us external warmth and love surrounds us. I think this is not a matter of charity but of justice.
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I couldn't agree more that it is a matter of justice. It is good that there is the offer of $1300 towards insulation. Being warm is more than just comfort as you point out, it is also about health. I do think some of the op shops charge a lot for warm clothes though, but maybe that is because second handshop owners would buy them all up and then on sell them if they were cheaper. To get around this, perhaps opshops like yours could offer significant discounts to community card holders in that case so that they can still serve those that really need the warm clothing well and not just those who can afford the higher priced warm second-hand coats. Sometimes I think these op shops aren't priced for those that really need them but are almost market rate second hand shops, and now that opshops are trendy, the ones who really need warm second hand clothes miss out as the prices are too high, or the warm clothes are all gone.
ReplyDeleteYour remarks about the Op shop have been discussed here. We have a system whereby we do give warm clothes (and other necessary things) to those in need. Each month this cost us over $5,000. This is a help to many people but is not a long term answer.
ReplyDeletePeople who can buy what they need are left with more pride and a better sense of self. We do not want to create dependency. The shops seek to provide a high standard of customer service, in a customer friendly environment, offering very low cost, high quality clothing and goods.
We have a commitment treating people with respect and to encourage a sense of dignity, by providing a modern, bright and welcoming shopping environment, selling clean, fashionable and garments/goods. We work to ensure that the best possible selection is presented with care and consideration to both the donor and the purchaser.
We think that the prices we ask are very cheap and in fact some donors say we are too cheap. We try to price goods and clothing so that people can afford what we offer and yet we do not want to be taken advantage of by other dealers.
The money made from our shops does help keep the Mission going and are a very important source of funding for us. You make good points and it is always a balance so if you have a solution I would love to hear it.
I called into Hereford street today to try to help one of your night boarders. The woman behind the counter was brusk, unhelpful and apparently stupid. Sack her now. While she was reading her magazine i helped two people who desperately needed help, and who she turned away.
ReplyDeleteAt the Mission we are lucky to have many volunteers and they give their time and energy to help us. It sounds like you became a volunteer also by helping the two people who needed help. Thank you very much for that.
ReplyDeleteVolunteers help us in many ways , in the shops, cooking in the Night Shelter, doing reception duties and working in the services. If we did not have such wonderful support we would either have to cut back on the work that we do or employ more staff.
I am sorry that you found anyone at the Mission, either staff or volunteers, to be unhelpful. That is certainly not how we wish to be. Thank you for pointing this out to us.
Warm regards,
Michael Gorman.
City Missioner.