Community Based Initiatives

WCA's Community based teams offer a comprehensive, range of community initiatives and partnerships. These  initiatives include advocacy, counselling, budget advice,  food bank,  parenting services, social work, youth work and individual mentoring for a range of communities, including 'hard to reach' communities.

Foodbank

WCA's Porirua Foodbank is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings to provide emergency assistance and food parcels for those in need.

Good Cents

The Porirua Good Cents Initiative emerged from local conversations at the height of the economic boom in 2007. Members of the Wesley Community Action Board were surprised that despite economic growth and high employment rates, demand for the Wesley Porirua foodbank remained high.

The Good Cents initiative in Porirua addresses the high levels of debt and high interest loans that exist in the communities that can least afford them.  From discussion groups to budgeting advice, Good Cents attempts to grow a community of awareness and a culture of change.

To read a typical case study, click here.

For further background and details of the progress being made, and to read the Good Cents 'business plan', click here.

Budgeting support and courses

Linked to the Good Cents initiative, Wesley Porirua provides budgeting advice and  budgeting courses to support people to gain more control over their personal finances.

Counselling

Providing low cost, high quality, comprehensive and private counselling for people who are needing extra support to feel more in control of their lives. We listen with respect and without judgement to: 

• Help you explore what you want to change in your life 
• Support you to learn how to do things differently 
• Support you to develop your sense of well-being. 

WCA's Counselling services are available at; Wesley Parish in Taranaki St., (behind Cafe Doria); Wesley Porirua and Petone Union Health. For further contact details, refer the 'Contact Us' page in this site.

Payment is by way of a of a donation or koha based on what you can afford.

Family support social work

WCA's Porirua based Social Worker provides valuable assistance to  families/whanau including;

• practical social work
• creating opportunities for families to develop their own plans with clear goals
• focusing on building strengths in families and working towards families/whanau gaining control over their own circumstances

Advocacy

Our advocacy service…

• Encourages and supports people in resolving issues with various agencies and organisations such as The Department of Work and Income, Child Youth & Family, Housing NZ, landlords and power companies.
• We assist and support people to identify and claim their legal entitlements

Youth Recreation Programmes

Open to young people between 12 and 17 years:

• Every Wednesday night from 4pm – 7pm in the Cannons Creek Opportunity Centre, 4 Mentor Lane
• Every Thurday night from 4pm - 7pm at the Ratana Hall, 4 Loongana St., Waitangirua.

Wesley Community Action, in Waitangirua

Wesley Community Action have established a unique partnership to help develop and encourage Waitangirua community driven initiatives, which currently include;

• After School Programmes
• School Holiday Programmes running for 6 days over most 2 week school holiday periods, 10am - 2pm.
• A Monday 'Mumzy's' Group.
• Mana Kotiro, Anger Management and relationship skills for young girls - Every Tuesday 3.30pm to 5pm.
• Youth Recreations nights, every Thursday from 4pm to 7pm.

Hard to reach Communities and Gangs

WCA is proud to work along side a number of ‘hard to reach communities’ (Mongrel Mob and Black Power).This journey is proving to be very rewarding for the members, their whanau, and WCA.  The journey has included joint rangatahi (youth) development programmes, memorials for women and children who have died, facilitating wananga, and supporting P rehab courses.

The challenges of prejudice and restrictive government policies have provided on-going learning opportunities for us all.

These initiatives aim to;

a) build on its common identity to strengthen positive pro-whanau actions

b)    increase the level and breadth of networks between Black Power and key groups that can support their health and well-being (health, employment, education organizations)

c)    develop their existing skills and strengths to enhance resilience and employment prospects.

It is anticipated that working with these 'hard to reach communities' to achieve these aims will  help to reduce the level of violence within the communities and whanau, reduce  negative behaviour (often linked to drugs and alcohol), and reduce the level of offending.

It is hoped that WCA's 'hard to reach community' initiatives will weaken these negatives and produce positive ripples that will flow into the wider community.

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