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A day in the life of the Auckland City Mission

 Linda Murphy, social worker, shares her work at the City Mission 
Rev Linda Murphy

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A day in the life of the Auckland City Mission

Transcript
1920 ninety-nine years ago, Jess for Calder and assistant priest here at st. Matthews started the City Mission. The 1920s was a time of social change after the Great War had ended with the servicemen returning. The pain endemic flew in for the epidemic, came and many many died. Our returning soldiers suffered from PTSD and there was no treatment for that devastating condition. We also had no social welfare system until 1935. So there was a need for. I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me. 2019, sees the mission still standing with those in desperate. Need this morning. I would like to share with you. The work of the different teams that make up the mission. And I'd like to welcome some of my colleagues, Jeanette matters who is a part of Laughs homeless Community, team and Gerard pick will, who looks after the order service. So I work very closely with I did hope that one or two others would come, but 10:00 might be a bit early on Sunday, and maybe Church isn't quite the flavor. Okay, we'll start with Will Saul important, homeless Community team. This is the team that manages High oughtta, our dining area, and they serve 100 plus meals at breakfast and lunch, all cooked at the mission. Many some of you rather not many but can't see many of the volunteers who come and help and hey Outta but it's it is wonderful to see some Matthews people in high Outta serving for meals and they are really really needed. So this team isn't just about meals, it is our Jeanette organizes. The all important activities, Monday starts and it's very noisy Monday. We start with choir, practice, followed by band practice. And then Music Makers, choose day starts with way Outta and karttikeya attended by most Mission staff, as well as clients. This is followed by a very well attended art class that Run by a wonderful volunteer, clear, Wednesday, includes clay. Reading and writing concluding with meditation, Thursday, we have copper Haka, and golden oldies, and to be a golden oldie, you have to be 55, plus Friday, starts with a quiz, which Jeanette spends a lot of time preparing, followed by carving. And Sunday. They have a movie but they had one yesterday as well. I noticed. So maybe it's Saturday and Sunday and on Mondays we have a very well-attended drama group that meets here at st. Matthews. And there is also a group that goes out and works in the community cleaning creeks. And it does work at the recycling plant and that is in conjunction with Hutton's City. Organization. We're now meals are being served and eaten. There is another team in high AR te brief intervention. This is a team of four key workers who assist a funner with benefit application, accommodation, and any other need, that may present. And these are quite often Health needs. This team works with people for 12 weeks, and if there is still problems, they will be referred to another mission service such as Gerard's. If they're over 55 or the homeless team of housing hasn't been achieved or an outside service. What's, what is required for that particular need. Our homeless Outreach support service includes a team of three key workers and a mental health nurse. They respond to notifications of homelessness from the general public and monitor those who we already know where that the rough sleepers are the steam starts at. Stay at six am climbing, under bridges, chicken, graveyards and Central, Auckland Parks, wherever they may be a rough sleeper. Now, one of the people that I had hoped would come this morning was, didn't quite make it, but I'm going to share the story. His story few years ago. It's got three years ago now 2016. I was working with horse and Gerard and I frequently would go out and meet where I move down on Queen Street. He'd been there about 18 months, and he was getting very physically unwell to Point that he actually could not move. We were monitoring, we were monitoring his health and I'd often take some call to Health Center, nurses down, but eventually he became so unwell. We knew we had to get him off the street, to do that. We had to negotiate with the hospital that we could get them off the street and hospitable Hospital, get checked out and then back to a home that we had organized, a home to go to. So on the The third attempt, we were successful. Thanks to an 80 bus driver. Who the bus? Stop outside. The Civic. He had the bus there. We put the detox van in front and bundled. We remove in. Yes. Gerard. I know it's still a funny story. Where am I spent some time in hospital? And then went to Cairo to house and Green Lane, which we affectionately call the city missions, Retirement Village because we have many of our people, their Wii remote. Now is busy working on his health and fitness and that was the excuse. He couldn't come today had to go to boot camp. Now, we're really proud of him, but we're also proud of ourselves for this one. We made a plan with where ammo and he wanted not to be isolated at Kara to Define so, Jeanette. And I are over a period of two years, would drive out to Cairo to perk him up Monday, a wins Tuesdays and Wednesdays for art and clay and it's slowly just drifted off. He doesn't need us quite so much. Now, lots of phone calls but he now has lost 60 kilos. He was about 200 kilos when we picked him up Green Street. So it just shows you what we can do, if we work as teams and listen to the needs of that person. And I am extremely proud of that boy. A very special team. I work with is the older service managed by Gerard who has been at the mission. Some years, not as long as well, not as longer than no, not as long as wealth. Not as long as me, okay? This suit is takes with rose from the community and other agent agencies in over with anyone over the age of 55, who has social issues and some are homeless, but many live in their own homes, are socially isolated or have issues such as hoarding, which is Gerard's favorite. The fume of in this last few months Gerard. This key worker Fiona. And I work, very closely with three men dying of cancer. One of who one, who was living on Key Street, This journey is often fraught with frustration. It is always a privilege to be there at the end with them. As many of you will be aware, some of our funerals are held here at Saint Matthews. We've recently added a new team to The Wider Hast group and this is housing first where are rough. Sleepers are supported into accommodation and assisted to a sustained their tendency and this is a fairly long term commitment to that tenancy sustainment. Another team is Crisis Care who support the community with food deprivation issuing. The many thousands of food Parcels that are issued as well as supporting the satellites like moomer and Margaery public or MRI Clinton Community Center and st. Luke's man, you riwa the steam is also these days offering budgeting and the boys, an advocacy and they are doing a non violence program starting in a few months. I myself work with the porter Health Center as their social worker, working with our patients, working with the new people, to working have come to brief intervention, Gerard's group and Haas when they go out and find somebody who's not. Well, our rough sleepers life is shortened by nearly 30 years compared to the general population. So one of our biggest challenges is our people present with health problems that are normally the normal population it manifests at age, 65 plus, maybe even 80 hours, might be 45 55, but the health system is not set up for that and One of our biggest battles is negotiating and maneuvering around the health system, so that we can get the services. Our people need to actually, Have a good good life. Once they are housed and we have had a few successes I've just thinking about our gentleman down in Victoria Park. Had been there for years, he drew out, and I found him bleeding out, we rang an ambulance, the ambulance thought that, tell me how to stop the bleeding which point I just closed, the phone call. Got to get a doctor to ring and we got the ambulance, he was eventually healed, he had what was called Rural Road and all sir and is now living at Kara to house and having the most wonderful life. So what Again, but it was a better. We actually had to use quite heavy legislation called, triple p n r. So that this person could have that good outcome, but that was the one of the more positive working with the hospital services and it is that other things that we can do. The quarter Center also has a walk-in clinic five days a week mental health practitioner comes in once a week, hep C Clinic. Because where there is now, successful treatment for hip. See kids come in once a week and a podiatrist comes in fortnightly because diabetes is really high and our group and so they those feet need lip being looked after. I was in Evendale, we have a social detox unit which has to attend, sorry, 10 beds and this unit for treatment that usually lasts two weeks. And then as follow, they are followed up in the community. And the first of July this year, we took over the management of James of Liston hostile done, and Freeman's death Bay. James Liston has recently had a wonderful renovation going from 15. Beads 253 to and is managed by Charlotte armor, who was part of our hasta team some years ago. And she now has six key workers working with her. They are an emergency housing provider and a fire. Now, typically stayed there for 12 weeks and move on to permanent housing. The mission could not manage without our distribution center. This team is in Grafton. They pack the thousands of food Parcels that are issued sort clothing, organize the delivery of furniture as needed as well as managing A New Beginning shops. And then we have Administration that organizes the administration and the very important fundraising team and home ground who are responsible For that amazing building going up next door and fingers crossed. We will move in their November 20, 20, not quite the anniversary, cuz June 20th, I believe was the day the mission started, but not too far out. So that's the mission in a thousand words. Thank you Jeanette and Gerard for coming. And I will finish with the words of my car and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God please any questions ask us at the end of it. Warning tea, thank you.