Di Macdonald, Author at Lifewise

Two smiling individuals, a chef in white attire and a customer in a pink coat, standing proudly in front of a café named "Lifewise Merge - Food for Good."

Merge Cafe Merge Community

9 February 2024

One Life, Two Lives. Jo Leach – Lived Experience Leader.

Jo's early life was characterised by stability and familial solidarity. Yet, at the tender age of 16, her world was abruptly upended by the sudden departure of her father. “I’d…

Di Macdonald

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homelessness Māori Mental Health And Addiction Rotorua

13 December 2023

Haehaetu Barrett makes Top 10 for New Zealander of the Year

The journey began when Haehaetu, a young Māori wahine and solo mother, entered the health sector as a midnight worker at a hospital. Witnessing the challenges faced by those unable…

Di Macdonald

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health and disability services

1 December 2023

Individualised Funding, for empowered people – Karen’s story

Meet Karen, a member of the Health & Disability Team at Lifewise and a keen advocate and user of Individualised Funding. This is her story. The power of choice is a…

Di Macdonald

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Merge Community

16 November 2023

Our Local Hero, Margaret Lewis

Her work begins with relationships that have trust and respect at it's core. “There’s no I in teams, and all that I help happen is led by the Merge Community…

Di Macdonald

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Merge Cafe Merge Community

4 October 2023

Cooking up connections at Ringa Wera

Ringa Wera literally translates as 'hot hands', describing both the speed people work at and the heat from the fire and ovens. The name was gifted to us by one…

Di Macdonald

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Merge Cafe

19 June 2023

Celebrating Volunteer Week 2023

Pip Pip Hooray Pip first heard about Merge Café while working at the University of Auckland more than a decade ago. Back then, the university held a fundraiser and one…

Di Macdonald

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youth homelessness Youth Housing

18 May 2023

Youth Week 2023

Rangatahi Week 2023 Hosted by Ara Taiohi, Youth Week is an annual event in New Zealand that celebrates and recognises the achievements, talents, and contributions of young people aged between…

Di Macdonald

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Merge Cafe Splice

23 November 2022

Celebrating 200 years of alleviating hardship across Aotearoa.

Merge Café, born from Methodist Mission Northern, was established after acknowledging the need for change from providing free kai through soup kitchen to a café where street whānau could go…

Di Macdonald

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Di Macdonald

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