News from Waikato Women’s Refuge
TE WHAKARURUHAU – SEPTEMBER 2019
Kia ora koutou,
Te Whakaruruhau enjoys the support of many individuals, organisations, funders and businesses. Like many charitable, not-for-profits and non-governmental organisations we are competing in an ever-decreasing pool of money. We work hard to get the best value for the families we support – through the food, clothing and furniture donations, as well as developing and expanding our team to deliver a high-quality and professional service. We continue to be grateful for the support no matter how big or small. In this newsletter we feature one of the first businesses to come on board with support for the refuge. Research Motors helped us out in 1998 and they continue to have our backs to this day. More recently, a Waikato DHB doctor has put her hand up to help us out. She is hosting a fundraising movie night and her goal is to raise a significant amount of money to help us with the busy months in the lead up to Christmas.
We also celebrate one of our own, Nanny Ngai – Ngaire Kelly – who was awarded the City Of Hamilton Civic Award for her services to women’s refuge. We are so proud of her and grateful for her amazing contributions to the refuge.
Ngā mihi,
Roni Albert Waikato Women’s Refuge Te Whakaruruhau CEO
Congratulations to Nanny Ngai
Congratulations to Nanny Ngai – Ngaire Kelly – Te Whakaruruhau residential house manager and Waikato Women’s Refuge board member. Recently awarded the City of Hamilton Civic Award for services to women’s refuge. She is a strong advocate for social change for women who have experienced domestic violence and their families both locally and nationally.
READ MORE
At the Wheel with Research Motors
Pictured – Research Motors founder Scott Macdonald, left, with Darby Macdonald in one of the new mechanical bays. Brooke, left, and Darby.
It started with a breakdown and 20 years later Research Motors is still one of the driving forces behind the refuge. Co-owner Brooke Macdonald says a call came in from Te Whakaruruhau Chief Executive Roni to fix her Hiace that had broken down while she was trying to help a family in Fairfield. Research Motors came to the rescue, got her van back on the road and a strong relationship was forged.
Since then, both Research Motors and refuge have grown, taking on more staff and expanding premises to accommodate the growth. Operating as Ruakura Fleet Management (RFM), Research Motors have added rental and fleet cars to their core business of fixing cars and the growth of the refuge has meant fleet cars for refuge staff. As well as providing refuge fleet cars, Brooke, father Scott and brother Darby have organised many raffles, trivia nights and other fundraisers, including a monster gala in 2012 (which closed down the Ruakura campus for the day). They even collect the leftover food from the Innovation Park cafe and deliver it to the safe houses. “We’ve all got daughters, so it hits home (the violence). It’s important to support the people who have the skills to provide the wraparound services and skills to help,” Brooke says. READ MORE
MEET THE TEAM
Eric Edmonds is a Perpetrator Outreach Services worker at the refuge. (Mentor, role model, father figure.)
What drives you to do what you do at WWR? My drive is the fulfillment of seeing lives transform and families being reunited and succeeding and prospering.
What accomplishment are you most proud of? I am most proud of making a change in my life to help others make changes in theirs and my son following in my footsteps, to where he now works at WWRT influencing other men and families too.
A quote that sums you up? Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Where’s your favourite place in the world, and why? My favourite place in the world, is being at church, because I am surrounded by like-minded people who are after the same thing and it was where my journey started and helped me out of a dark place.
What is your nickname? My nickname used to be possum because I used to stay up all night and drink everyone under the table. I don’t have a nickname anymore, just known as Eric, which means a great leader.
Who would you most like to swap places with for a day, and why? I would most like to swap places for the day with Kelvin Davis (the Minister of Corrections) so that I could authorise Man Up into the prisons to help save our men.
What meal would you eat for your last supper? I would eat a nice sirloin steak with creamed pāua followed by trifle with ice cream.
Name your four favourite songs of all time? Tasha Cobbs ‘You Know My Name’ or anything by the Eagles, Little River Band and Dr Hook.
Stand By Me
