Leaning into joy
Here are a bunch of ways to support others!
I put up my Christmas decorations yesterday. I know it’s absolutely too early. But my kids needed some joy - and I really needed some joy. Maybe it was really more me than the kids. But seeing their faces light up, watching my big boy help my little boy put the star on the tree - it reminded me how much I love Christmas and how important it is to lean into joy.
When we feel hopeless, we have to actively look for ways to bring joy into our lives. No matter how small. I have been struggling with grief and the too muchness of the world as it is right now. So I’m trying really hard to focus on the things I can control rather than the things I can’t.
Can I stop powerful people making horrible decisions all the time that ruin people’s lives? No. But I can be in community with others as we support those impacted by the horrible decisions. Can I make people care about the things that I think matter? Like genocide, climate change, the ever-increasing gap between the rich and poor? No. But I can be in community with those who care and those who want to do something, however small.
So here’s to being in community with each other. Here’s to trying our best. Here’s to getting into the Christmas spirit early by doing what we can to support each other.
Starting your Christmas shopping? Add a child or whānau in need to your Christmas list. It’s really easy with Koha Tree. Just search your suburb and choose which project you want to support - Shoebox Christmas for Tamariki, Shoebox Christmas for elders, or any of the other active campaigns. Or just search the Shoebox Christmas list here.
You can also search for a local group - Hutt Santas is one example of a group working in their community to spread Christmas magic. Last year, through the Pay It Forward Lower Hutt Facebook page, 145 children received presents. Sign up a child in your care to get presents or to be a Santa.
Love books? Hard same. Donate a book this Christmas!
Kiwi Christmas Books is a nationwide charity, collecting thousands of brand new books each year from kind, book-loving Kiwi donors. You donate new books in store at a bunch of bookstores, or post them to Kiwi Christmas Books, and they’ll pass them on to tamariki in need of a great Christmas gift. All the details are here. If you buy a book by a New Zealand author you’re doing double the kindness!
Take action for Te Tiriti
Join and support the Toitū Hīkoi - check out the Hīkoi dates & places here - starting at Te Kāo in the Far North on Sunday 10 November, ending at Parliament on Tuesday the 19th of November.
Action Station are calling on people to step up and step out by either:
Getting out into your local town centre and distributing free Together for Te Tiriti posters, information posters and leaflets to your local businesses and community centres.
Finding spots for their big placards (1200mm x 800mm) in high visibility spots in your area (like state highways, local shopping areas, high traffic streets etc). Actionstation will sponsor the costs of these billboards.
Get your orders in by Sunday the 3rd of November to receive your placards & posters in time for the national hīkoi! Learn more about the hīkoi here.
They’ve also set up a Facebook group where you can join others in spreading the tohu far and wide.
Donate to provide early intervention therapies for disabled tamariki
If you’ve been horrified by the government’s cuts to supports for disabled tamariki - why not give a donation in Louise Uston’s name to the Wellington Early Intervention Trust? My son spent just over a year in physio and occupational therapy at the trust and they’re incredible - they offer all supports, from music to speech therapy and everything in between, for disabled tamariki in Wellington. Donate here.
Get involved supporting a special day for autistic tamariki
Jordan Lee Ikitule is a very inspiring guy. He set up a support group for dads with autistic tamariki. He’s organised a special day for autistic children and their families in Tāmaki Makaurau and he’s looking for businesses to provide items for kids and parents. If you can help send him a message on Facebook or Instagram or email admin@asddads.com.
Sign the petition to ban fireworks
Fireworks are awful for so many reasons. They traumatise and maim animals but they’re also deeply upsetting to many tamariki and adults who are disabled, neurodivergent, or surviving PTSD. Sign the petition to ban fireworks here.
New Zealand Veterinary Association Head of Veterinary Services (Companion Animals) Sally Cory says small animals, particularly cats and dogs, have much more sensitive hearing than humans and will often try to flee during fireworks, resulting in an increased risk of injury and trauma. “Around the time of Guy Fawkes, veterinarians tend to see cats that develop stress cystitis in response to the noise, which is a painful and distressing condition, usually requiring prompt veterinary intervention,” she says. “We also see direct injuries from fireworks, anxiety issues, and stress can exacerbate heart or respiratory issues for pets with pre-existing conditions.”
Do your bit by choosing not to let off fireworks this year.
Donate to survivors of sexual assault
Wellington Rape Crisis Inc is in need of donations. You can donate directly via their bank account - 38-9014-0683413-00. Every bit helps, no matter how small. Wellington Rape Crisis was established in 1978 by a group of local women who identified a
community need for a support network for women who had experienced sexual harm. Today, their team of registered social workers and counsellors provide free support services to survivors of all genders and their supporters.
Send a Christmas card to our whānau in prison
The Prisoner Correspondence Network is running the Holiday Card Drive again in 2024.
This is a yearly event where people come together to write holiday cards to our whānau behind bars, as we know that prison is a lonely place - especially over the Christmas and holiday season.
There are events all across the country where you can participate in making or writing holiday cards. Blank cards, pens and colouring pencils will be provided - all you need to bring is your kindness and creativity. There will also be kai and the chance to meet other people who care! More info here. You can also write cards using the online portal. If you just want to donate - you can do that here. Super easy.
Have a conversation with your loved ones about vaccination
Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) has warned that we are "on the cusp" of a national outbreak of whooping cough as cases continue to rise. There were 187 whooping cough cases reported in September, some of the highest levels recorded since early 2019.
Key messages to share with the people you love to protect them from deadly illnesses:
Vaccinations are free for all children under 18, for those over 65, and adults over 45 can get one booster, if they have not had four previous tetanus doses.
Your baby will need 3 doses to be protected from whooping cough. They get these when they are six weeks old, three months old and five months old. Booster doses are also given at 4, 11, 45, and 65 years old.
If you are pregnant you should be vaccinated. You can be vaccinated against whooping cough from 16 weeks and this will protect your newborn baby who will be too young to be vaccinated, which is when they're most at risk of whooping cough.
Aotearoa is at very high risk of a measles outbreak. There is a risk of getting measles if you have not had two vaccinations, or have not already had measles. The measles (MMR) vaccine is free for everyone.
We need at least 95% of people to be immunised to stop a measles outbreak. This also protects babies who are too young to be vaccinated, and severely immunocompromised people. Measles is one of the most dangerous and contagious diseases - it is serious shit.
We must never forget the horror of the Samoa outbreak.
Sign the open letter against Israel’s genocide
Writers, publishers, literary festival workers, and other book workers from around the world are coming together to refuse to complicit in Israel’s genocide. You can sign and read the open letter here.
Share it with your favourite writers and ask them to sign.
Anyone who signs the letter is agreeing not to work with Israeli cultural institutions that are complicit or have remained silent observers of the overwhelming oppression of Palestinians. The letter states: We will not cooperate with Israeli institutions including publishers, festivals, literary agencies and publications that:
Are complicit in violating Palestinian rights, including through discriminatory policies and practices or by whitewashing and justifying Israel's occupation, apartheid or genocide, or
Have never publicly recognized the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people as enshrined in international law.
Support an amazing Tangata Moana collective
Brown Town are an amazing collective based in Ōtautahi. Founders Devyn Baileh (Te Atiawa), Grace Colcord (Malie, Afega), and Shea Wātene (Ngā Puhi, Ngā Rauru) told RNZ that they recognised a "real need" for a space in Christchurch where Tangata Moana can be “loud, brown and proud".
"We're so over the aggression of being brown in Ōtautahi," the collective said. "We know that it exists in other places across the motu and around the world, but the discrimination is uniquely strong here."
You can support them by supporting their Boosted campaign. Every bit helps!
I would love to hear what community organisations and events you’re supporting - let me know in the comments. Arohanui and thank you for the community.
There’s a poem I really love by Maya Angelou about Christmas -
We, Angels and Mortal's, Believers and Non-Believers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at our world and speak the word aloud.
Peace. We look at each other, then into ourselves
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation.
Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul.
I hope desperately for peace for all today, tomorrow, and forever.
What a brilliant resource filled with info, created with compassion - thank you again for such mahi x
That's a generously stuffed Christmas stocking, thank you, Emily.
🕊 🙏 ❤️ 💚 🌱