How fortunate we are that everyone is unique, and has different circumstances that make them the people they are.
With this, comes the challenge that some individuals have been, and are, in places where they are struggling. Those who have the means to help others have the responsibility to ensure our social and moral fabric is strong as a community, town, city, and region.
Here is one example of how Family Works are, with your support, changing the lives of people in our community.
We have been working with a man in his 30s who wants to put his past of criminal activities and taking and dealing drugs behind him, and to be an active and positive member of society.
Adam* is not a very social person, and can be quite paranoid. His mind has been damaged from bad choices and a bad environment, but he wants to change.
He’s been working with one of our dedicated Social Workers to help him find his way. To date, our Social Worker has supported Adam by:
- Providing advocacy – Adam has anger management issues and is not able to access services or articulate what his needs are without getting angry. Our Social Worker has been speaking on his behalf to agencies, like WINZ, to ensure he is receiving the financial support he is entitled to, on his life-changing journey of change.
- Building self belief and self worth – our Social Worker is helping to build Adam’s belief in himself by using tūrangawaewae – finding out where he is from, and the links and connections he has in order to find the place where he can stand strong and contribute to society.
- Planning for the future – together, Adam and our Social Worker have drawn up a CV. This has been a challenge as Adam has no qualifications and no work experience, so he has been attending several pre-employment training courses to help build up his experience, and his confidence. It is working.
- Assisting work with others – our Social Worker is connecting with other agencies and services to ensure Adam is receiving all the support he needs, outside of that which we are not able to provide directly. The aim is to build a community of support for Adam so that his changes can be sustainable and have long-term impact for himself, and his family.
Working with Adam may be long-term, but already there have been many small successes.
As an organisation, we’re fortunate to be able to be flexible in who we can work with, and how we work with them. This ensures they receive the support they need, when they need it and in a way that works for them.
It is not easy for someone to turn from a life of crime, to positively contributing to society. With your support, Adam, and those like him, can have a second chance at life.
*name changed to protect identity