Exercise your NO muscle today!

Read some appalling statistics today - in Northland, our region, police attend an average of 17 domestic calls a day.  That is 17 too many!  Especially when you consider over 75% of domestic violence incidents are not reported to police.  So the actual numbers are far far worse.


Each year an average of 27 men, women and children are killed due to family violence.  That is 27 too many.

One of the common myths about domestic violence is ‘Why doesn’t she just leave?’.  The important thing to remember is that no-one asks to be abused .  The responsibility lies firmly with the abuser to stop their behaviour.  

Family violence is a pattern of physical, sexual, emotional or financial violence that leaves the victim intimidated, hurt and fearful for their life, and the lives of their family. Learn more about this pattern of power and control, and the types of abuse.


Domestic violence is not limited to any demographic. It happens in rural and urban areas, within all age, religious and ethnic groups, and across all socio-economic groups. It can happen between people who are married, in de facto relationships or just dating. Domestic violence happens in same sex relationships, too.
 
The Domestic Violence Act 1995 legally protects anyone in a domestic relationship from violence: married couples; unmarried couples; gay and lesbian couples; children; family; anyone in a close relationship; and flatmates and

others who may share accommodation from violence. 


If the victim cannot stand up for themselves it is those in the community around them to open our eyes and not stand by and allow it to happen.  We need to say it's not okay.  

So exercise your NO muscle when you see violence in our society, as the change starts with all of us saying it's not okay!



Read more at Northern Advocate article.
For statistics look at Family Violence statistics
For support or advice see http://areyouok.org.nz/
Other links:  MASSIVE, Womens Refuge NZ, Justice Dept, Legislation

Be a Hero!

I know it has been said before ... ST JOHN need more volunteers for the ambulances.

The team we have in Kaiwaka and Maungaturoto are amazing.  They give up so much of their time already, like alot of rural volunteers.  Yesterday a loved one needed in ambulance in Waipu, and as there was no-one available nearby the ambulance had to come up from Maungaturoto which from the original call was 1 hour!!!

Not the ambos fault, just a symptom of the fact there are not enough people giving their time to be available to help others.  So even if you can do only a shift a week it would be better than making someone who couldn't wait have to miss out on treatment.  The more volunteers the more lives that can literally be saved.

So if you have been thinking about it don't think any more.

Just do it - volunteer for St John and be a hero in your community.

Step Forward - Show You Care

At Kaiwaka Cares we believe our community is a safe, friendly and discrimination free for everyone who chooses to live here. 

In the 2014 Quality of Life Survey people were asked about their feelings about where they live and how they feel.  Almost half of respondents felt a sense of community where they live.  They felt that in their community people cared and supported each other.   40% of these people felt that people might not feel a sense of community because members of their community did not regularly talk to each other.

Whilst it may be nice to think that Kaiwaka is an exception, there are still members of our community who are alone. One of the other statistics that came out of the survey is that 32% of people had experienced loneliness in the past year.

This is part of the reason for the drop-in centre coming into being.  it provides a space for members of our community to get to know each other and improve the sense of community for those who might not be feeling it.

A reason that people might feel not part of the community is if they are challenged by mental illness.  it is a sad fact that one in five people in New Zealand will experience some form of mental illness in 2015.  This includes anxiety, depression as well as bipolar and other disorders.

One of the biggest challenges for someone challenged by mental illness is discrimination.  The Step Forward campaign over the next month is aiming to bring awareness to mental illness and to try and end some of the discrimination surrounding it.  Lets break down the barriers and Step Forward as a community to socially include those who may be struggling.

For more information visit Step Forward or Like Minds.