Message from Jo

Kia ora koutou,

I hope you all had a wonderful break and feel refreshed for the year ahead.
In this issue of People we celebrate some wonderful stories by our clients and residents, highlighting the fabulous activities that occurred over the holiday period. We also hear from PSO staff about the success stories they have seen when we are able to reach into our community and support those who really need it.

Our work relies heavily on the kindness of our community and local businesses through grants and donations, as well as the amazing people who drop by with food for the PSO foodbank. Through the cost-of-living crisis and the inflation issues we are facing as a nation, we have seen a notable drop in food items, and financial donations. We are all working hard to ensure our core services aren’t affected, but there have been some changes to try and mitigate the challenges we are facing.

After making the difficult decision to close the Lindsay Unit at Ross Home, and the garden centre at Youthgrow, we know many of our supporters have been worried about PSO. I want to assure you that we have a strong team who continue to have heart and purpose in our mission, and a Board who donate their time to support and strengthen the future strategy for the organisation. We plan to be stronger, fitter and more agile in the years to come and are working hard to put the foundations in place to help us be a more sustainable, responsive organisation for the future.

We have had some great achievements in the past year which will help us on our mission and should be celebrated. After extensive advocacy campaigns by many across the sector, we received a breakthrough announcement at the end of last year. Registered Nurses and Social Workers will receive pay parity with their counterparts in government agencies such as Te Whatu Ora and Oranga Tamariki. This is a big break through! PSO relies upon Registered Nurses and Social Workers to ensure we can provide the care needed by our clients in Family Works and our residents in Enliven aged care services, and this announcement will help us recruit and retain staff into these essential positions.

To end, I want to say a big THANK YOU to all the friends of PSO who continue to believe in our mission, and to those who are able to contribute, whether that be food, funds or volunteering their time. We could not do what we do without you.

Ko te hoa tino pono rawa, ko tērā e toro atu ai tōna ringa ki tōu, engari ka titi kaha ki tōu manawa te kōhengihengi. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand but touches your heart.

Blessings to you all.

Jo O’Neill
CEO

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