The Auckland Catholic Caring Foundation has given grants to more than 60 groups which support individuals and families whose struggles have deepened due to the on-going Covid-19 pandemic.
At the annual Caring Mass, Auckland Auxiliary Bishop Michael Gielen thanked those who have helped the Church’s treasures: the poor, the sick and the unloved.
The Mass held on July 28 at Christ the King church in Owairaka, Auckland, was in recognition of the individuals, students and organisations who showed outstanding care and commitment to others.
“You are trying to place those who are less fortunate than yourselves in the heart of your lives, at the heart of your communities,” he said. “And if we’re honest, our society is built on. . . the generosity, the caring [and] the love for others. We want to honour you today and celebrate what you are doing for others.”
Catholic Caring Foundation manager Ann-Marie Parker said a lot of the agencies that they have given grants to are those that are continuing to help those who are still severely affected by the continuing pandemic.
“Our community was so generous during Covid, when they could see regularly the impact that Covid was having on our most vulnerable. That demand and need for services is still there,” she said.
“It may not be as visible, but a large majority of the agencies that we speak with are still dealing with families and people who are still trying to recover from the financial, psychological and emotional impact of Covid. So, the work they do is even more vital this year.”
Mrs Parker explained that those who were most affected by Covid were already struggling to begin with. The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, which impacted on the country’s economy, only exacerbated their situation.
“The most vulnerable, whom we knew were going to be affected the hardest by Covid, [have] still not had the capability of getting past that,” she said. “The agencies that we’re able to support. . . really have targeted programmes that are working for long-term change in the people that they work with.”
“They are not looking at just the short-term turn-around. They know that the problems are really complex, and they work to a longer timeframe in order to address those problems. We have many agencies that walk the journey with their clients for however long they need.”
Mrs Parker thanked the agencies who “are really doing the hard mahi (work)”.
“Those agencies bring our grants to life,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to the donors, particularly the Tindall Foundation, which has supported the Caring Foundation for more than 25 years.
Mrs Parker said that they also recognise the service that the students give to the community.
“We know that they don’t do this for the sake of a certificate,ut our young people are such a treasure for the whole diocese and our community that we think it’s really important for them to be particularly honoured,” she said.
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