You’ve heard a lot about the cost-of-living crisis, you are probably feeling it yourself. But for many people not having enough money to get by on is an all-consuming crisis. They spiral into debt, borrowing to pay for previous borrowings, and the stress impacts badly on their physical and mental health. We can help. Our team of three financial mentors work from rooms right to our self-serve foodbank and they bring hope where there is despair. Read on to find out more about their work.
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You will have heard of the epidemic of mental health illness sweeping over our young people in Christchurch. It is very real and it is tearing lives and families apart. Here on the frontline we see the effects every day and past studies have suggested that typically someone with mental health/addiction problems can severely impact the lives of six others – family, workmates and friends.
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If you roll yourself up in blankets just right - nice and tight - you can keep warm in the back of a car on a freezing winter night, says Gary Gribben.
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Winter is the hardest time for the people we care for. Everything that’s a problem in their lives seems harder when it’s colder and darker.
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Every now and then Hereford Street outside our Foodbank can be one of the busiest streets in Christchurch.
Cars can be seen queueing up to collect food parcels. As with the last lockdown, our Foodbank carries on because our City needs us.
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Single parent Chrissy came to our Foodbank on a biting cold morning needing help and our hearts melted at her story.
Five men living in our emergency accommodation jumped at the chance yesterday to hop in a van and go to Ashburton to help a flood-hit farmer clear debris from his fences.
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When Daisy moved into her Christchurch flat, she bought a few things to celebrate finally having her own safe place. She picked out some plates and cups, linen for the bed, a couple of candles … and two pot plants.
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Work is now under way on a redevelopment of our 269-275 Hereford Street site which will transform how we help people get back on track with their lives after we have cared for them in crisis.
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Most banks will have stopped accepting cheques by the middle of this year. ANZ, the City Mission’s bank, is stopping from May 31.
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We plan on 2021 being our biggest and best year yet in using our life and work skills sessions to lift clients’ lives and give them a new beginning.
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Lucy’s family is herself and three boys. They live in a rental which the landlord has just sold so now they have to move. This, she says voice breaking, caps a year when everything went from bad to worse.
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Once again we are hosting the biggest Christmas Day party in Christchurch and we can’t wait to see everyone enjoying themselves.
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The City Mission has been associated with city Christmas Trees in the past, but our 2020 tree in Cashel Mall is something beautifully unique to Christchurch.
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These are our clients, the people you help us support. They are just a few of the hundreds and thousands of people we will be caring for over the Christmas season. These stories are real. We are here for Christchurch people who need us, and we will always will be. Thank you for being with us on this journey.
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We love all our donors but there is something extra special when children come to us and say they want to help others in our community. You see kindness and you see a wonderful hope for all of our future when children get behind us and join us.
The City Mission is bringing Christmas to Christchurch on November 28 when we officially launch our new Christmas Tree.
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The City Mission’s Carol Service is at the Cathedral on Wednesday, December 16.
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In the last few years we have accelerated our goal of not just helping people like Pita in an emergency but also boosting their self-esteem, life skills and work skills. We believe the best gift we can give is independence.
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Many families who are coming to us for help are new to us and we are being approached for help by families who in the past have been our supporters and donors.
These generous people can hardly believe that now they need to ask for help, help that we are so pleased to give them.
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