Due to COVID-19 containment measures, some of our community services have been disrupted, and others are not available. Regardless, we take our mission very seriously and remain committed to looking after as many people as we can. In this time of crisis, we’re doing everything in our power while aligning with government measures for the virus’s containment.
Below, we’ve outlined which of our services are still operating, along with how we are adapting some of our services to be safer in this unprecedented time. As always, in case of emergency, please dial 111. For support and information about COVID-19, call the free government helpline on 0800 779 997 (8am–1am, 7 days a week) or visit covid19.govt.nz.
Many of our services will be operating remotely. We are dealing with constant change, and the health and safety of our teams and clients remains of paramount importance. There have been changes to our services and these will remain in place until further notice. All updates will be shared through our website and social media, so you can stay abreast of anything you need to know.
Please check the website regularly for further changes as COVID-19 continues to evolve.
Updates for Each Service
Below, we’ve listed updates and changes for each specific service that is being affected by COVID-19, and what you should know if you rely on Lifewise for any help. The services we’re covering here are:
- Housing First (Auckland and Rotorua)
- Health and Disability Services
- Family Services
- Early Childhood Education
- Merge Café
Housing First
For both the Auckland and Rotorua Housing First Communities, our team will remain on call and available for support. All tenants have been contacted and informed of the new measures and will be receiving a weekly food package. For those tenants who need wrap around support, the Housing First team is available and will be following the strict guidelines imposed by the Ministry of Health.
At Lifewise Rotorua, both our Supported Accommodation and Housing First Rotorua services will continue.
Supported Accommodation (Lifewise Rotorua) sarahl@lifewise.org.nz / 07 3486 239
Housing First Rotorua teporaa@lifewise.org.nz
Health and Disability Services
Our teams will continue to work with our existing clients. Employees who need to register with Healthline to be eligible for leave payment due to self-isolation should register at https://healthy.org.nz/. PLEASE DO NOT RING HEALTHLINE.
Health and Disability Services for Elderly
For all enquiries relating to our elderly person service please call on 09 623 7631
Please leave a message and we will get back to you. Please be patient, our lines are very busy. Your call is important to us and we will try to respond within 24 hours.
Lifewise Disability Services
If you are concerned about your Individualised Funding, please contact one of the people below. Emails or texts are easier to manage. If necessary, we will phone you back. Please be patient, we are trying to answer all queries within 24 hours.
Lifewise Family Services
As per the government’s COVID-19 alert levels, our office at 3131 Great North Road, New Lynn is now closed. We expect to re-open when the government announces that we are back at Level 2. Where possible, our staff are working from home to ensure our essential services are still available.
Please call 09 818 6834 to speak to someone during normal business hours. Our on–call social worker remains available for urgent foster care queries after hours (via main number). Please be aware that during this time it may take us longer than usual to respond to queries.
Lifewise Family Services – 09 818 6834 or 0800 003 172
Sher (Service Manager): 021 0835 5309
Email: familyservices@lifewise.org.nz
Jess (Administrator): 021 530 581
(Please call this number if you have a delivery for our office)
Early Childhood Education
All our Lifewise ECE centres are closed during the mandatory, four-week lockdown period.
No fees will be charged during this time.
We appreciate this is a sudden and significant change and will be heavily disruptive for many people in our community. You may wish to check if you are considered an essential worker. However, those roles include doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and police.
If you have alternate childcare arrangements available, we ask that you please utilise these. This will allow us to support our staff with vulnerable family members as well.
For children of essential workers, we look forward to seeing your children at their enrolled centre:
Lifewise ECE Glen Eden 9am -3pm or
Lifewise ECE Waimumu 9am – 3pm or
Royal Road Preschool 9am-3pm or
Akoteu Tenga’i Musita – Mustard Seed Preschool 9am-3pm.
We continue to ask that children who are not well stay home, as this is for the safety of the other children and families enrolled with us.
Your child will be looking to you for guidance about this decision. Parents, caregivers, whanau and teachers will have a particularly important part to play in reassuring children at this time. If you haven’t already done so, you may wish to read the information put together by the Ministry of Education to support your conversations with your children – Talking to children about COVID-19.
Merge Café
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, Merge Café is closed until further notice.
Please ensure members of the community know they can get food from Auckland City Mission’s Haeata Food Service, daily from 11am – 1pm daily. Street whānau will be provided with a takeaway bag filled with nutritious, filling food to last for one day.
Any updates on the operations of Merge Café and its food service will be provided as soon as received.
Merge Community
This is a message about self-isolation for people who are sleeping rough during the COVID-19 lockdown period
If you have symptoms of the COVID-19 virus, are over 70 years old, or have any health issues we can support you to self-isolation while alert level 4 is active.
Our Street Reach Outreach team can help you get somewhere to stay immediately. We will help you get there and will provide support for you.
Merge Cafe is closed, but every weekday at 10:30 am our Street Reach Team will be outside the cafe for you to talk to.
You can also reach us at outreach@lifewise.org.nz
To everyone who has been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 in New Zealand, stay strong and stay safe. Your community will rally around you, and if you are ever in need of help you can always reach out to Lifewise.
Be strong, be kind.
Kia kaha.
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