A pivotal visit by St Vincent de Paul Napier council member Dan Sussmilch helped the organisation develop a multifaceted strategy to offer immediate relief and assist in facilitating the community's long-term rehabilitation.

As part of its community involvement in Wairoa, St Vincent de Paul is helping clean up and restore 25 homes.

With specialised silt crews employed for this essential work, St Vincent de Paul is allocating funds for necessities such as digger fuel, carpentry supplies and building materials, as well as covering the costs of essential plumbing and electrical works.

In addition to the repair and restoration, Vinnies has distributed hampers to 320 families.

Filled with goods purchased from local businesses, who themselves were impacted by the cyclone, the move is designed both to provide essential aid and help rejuvenate the local economy.

Ongoing commitment

St Vincent de Paul's commitment to helping Wairoa recover is ongoing.

The collective effort, particularly the invaluable contribution of volunteers, is pivotal in the management and execution of relief operations.

"The involvement of Vinnie's volunteers embodies the spirit of communal solidarity in overcoming adversity," a St Vincent de Paul member told CathNews.

As the recovery journey progresses, the Napier branch of St Vincent de Paul remains resolute in its mission to deliver critical support, highlighting the effective results of united action.

"Last year St Vincent de Paul Napier also assisted those affected by the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle," said Christine Tong, area president of St Vincent de Paul Napier.

"We were extremely grateful for the Funds Appeal launched throughout New Zealand by our St Vincent de Paul Society's National Office and the wonderful generosity shown during this extremely difficult time", she said.

Lotto millions sit with Internal Affairs

The government Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Fund received $11.7m from the special Lotto draw in March 2023 and was bolstered by more than $1.7m in public donations - plus interest earned over the past 12 months.

The money sits with the Department of Internal Affairs - unspent.

Those wanting to know where the Lotto draw and public donation funds will go are set to get answers sometime in mid-February.

Sources

• Supplied
• Newstalk ZB

Without the help of young people, St Vincent de Paul Napier would not have been able to respond so positively, reports the Catholic charity in its most recent national newsletter.

While the media focus has moved on, Cyclone Gabrielle's devastation continues and St Vincent de Paul's outreach is ongoing.

"Because it's no longer on the News doesn't mean Cyclone Gabrielle is over," Julie, a Taradale resident, told CathNews.

Initially, the focus was clothing, food, possessions and personal necessities but now, as the community transitions into the recovery phase, the needs also change, reports the Church charity.

Focus change

As the needs change, St Vincent de Paul's response changes to meet those needs.

St Vincent de Paul's primary focus is now on aiding families and children displaced or emotionally affected by the cyclone.

Initially, Catholic schools in the region were reluctant to seek financial assistance from a special cyclone relief fund.

Children's mental health

However, the increasing need for mental health support has become evident.

One school has reported a spike in anxiety levels among its students, highlighting the urgent need for professional counselling services, reports the Church's social outreach.

In its newsletter, the St Vincent de Paul Society notes that at one primary school it supports, students are so traumatised by the cyclone that they never talked.

Encouragingly, the school reports positive changes.

This ongoing mental health assessment has been met with gratitude from the educational community.

Some families continue to be displaced, and others have lost their jobs due to the cyclone's far-reaching impact.

The Society reports that while the need for food parcels has seen a decline, regular support activities such as providing uniforms and stationery continue.

Additional assistance has been extended for after-school care fees, transportation and special events like the Year 9 Big Day Out, which benefited 75 students.

Christian charity with community relationships

Through the Christian charity of its donors and volunteer members, St Vincent de Paul works to provide practical and effective help to those in need and promote human dignity, justice and self-sufficiency.

The Napier branch of St Vincent de Paul says that through its relationship with WHIT (Whatever It Takes), the outreach centre and its own work, the Society continues to deliver in accord with its values of generosity, compassion, empathy, responsiveness, advocacy, respect for people and respect for the environment.

• Source: Supplied

Pope Francis' main purpose in visiting Mongolia was to visit its tiny Catholic community. He completed his trip with a stop to tour and inaugurate the House of Mercy.

The House of Mercy provides health care to the most needy in the Mongolian capital and the homeless, victims of domestic abuse and migrants.

During his visit to the House, Francis blessed the sign of the charitable institution, which was established to assist women and girls in escaping domestic violence.

The House also has temporary lodging for migrants and others in need and a basic medical clinic for the homeless.

In visiting the House, Francis said he wanted to dispel "the myth" that the aim of Catholic institutions was to convert people to the religion "as if caring for others were a way of enticing people to 'join up'."

Inaugurating the church-run facility, Francis stressed that such initiatives aren't aimed at winning converts.

They are simply exercises in Christian charity, he said.

He went on to urge Mongolians rich and poor to volunteer to help their fellow citizens.

"The true progress of a nation is not gauged by economic wealth, much less by investment in the illusory power of armaments, but by its ability to provide for the health, education and integral development of its people," Francis said at the House.

The local church opened the House as an expression of the three-decade-deep roots the Catholic Church put down during its official presence in Mongolia.

However, his visit took on international connotations because of his overtures to neighbouring China about freedom of religion.

At the end of a Mass on Sunday, Francis sent greetings to China. He called its citizens a "noble" people and asked Catholics in China to be "good Christians and good citizens."

Several foreign-staffed Catholic religious orders in Mongolia run shelters, orphanages and nursing homes.

In these, they care for a population of 3.3 million where one in three people lives in poverty.

Source

• Reuters
• AP News