In the lead up to Christmas, Auckland City District's Central Eastern Area took to the streets to spread some Christmas cheer, delivering presents to tamariki whose whānau have certainly felt the effects of COVID-19 this year.
“Many families came to Police’s attention for the first time this year as a result of COVID-19,” says Inspector Lyle Norriss, Central Eastern Area Prevention Manager.
“Some of these whānau members have lost their jobs, others simply have turned to crime and other offences to help their family through. The aim was to bring some joy by delivering small gifts to the tamariki who we know may not otherwise receive a gift this Christmas.”
The team received a great response. All kinds of gifts were donated and came from a range of agencies too; St Johns, Lions Foundation, Oranga Tamariki, and Ministry of Social Development (MSD) all donated to the cause.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to the friends and whānau of staff members who also contributed to this mahi – there were many happy little faces out there,” Lyle adds.
With the mobile Police unit in tow, ‘Police Dog’ Piper and a range of staff, including some from MSD and two staff members’ tamariki, went from home to home, delivering gifts and food parcels. Passers-by loved the teamwork and had smiles on their faces at the sight of Santa and his helpers out and about in the community.
“We visited over 100 homes and some of these children wouldn’t otherwise have received gifts," says Lyle. "We’ve also delivered over 100 food parcels and presents to approximately 250 children. There is lots of need out there and anything we can do to help is better than nothing."
Partnering with other agencies also helped achieve some good results. “While dropping off a present, MSD staff were able to check in with the whānau and see if they could help in any way – they ended up helping with a rental subsidy for one family and a furniture grant for another.”
The initiative was a great success and the team hope to make it an annual event with support from others and key partners.
Check out the team in action...