Annual report
2023/24

Campaigns

Christmas from the

Heart: 2023

In the lead-up to Christmas each year, various food support initiatives are held throughout Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland with the aim of addressing Christmas hardship. In Te Uru o Tāmaki Makaurau (West Auckland) Visionwest Community Trust runs Christmas From The Heart. 2023 was our event’s fifth year.

Staff stocking supermarket shelves

Christmas From The Heart 2023 ran for eight days from Monday 11 December – Wednesday 20 December (excluding the weekend). The model of this year’s event was intentionally different to previous years – this is covered in the Milestones section of this report.

This year we didn’t utilise a phone-in booking system meaning a whānau selection process was required. Support workers from each of our services identified and nominated whānau who they were already working with, and who they knew would require extra support over the Christmas period. Other whānau heard about the event through various organisations, social media, or word-of-mouth. This meant we could focus largely on whānau who we were currently working with and incorporate Christmas From The Heart as part of their journey to transformation, rather than it being a one-off event in their lives.

Whānau coming to Visionwest were welcomed into a festive atmosphere with music, a free café and sausage sizzle, free haircuts, and activities for the children.

Adults were welcomed and led through the four phases of Christmas From
The Heart:

  • The Kai From The Heart supermarket.
  • The fresh produce store.
  • Gifts From The Heart – a pop-up toy store for whānau with children.
  • The wrapping station where gifts were wrapped.

As always, the financial hardship faced by a significant number of people within our community was obvious as was the incredible gratitude expressed by many of those attending.

“My children and whānau got to experience the feeling of being loved. The smiles on everyone’s faces means the world.”

“This means a lot. We’re struggling and trying to meet bills isn’t easy.
We just got told our rent is going
up and the water bill is going up. You’re awesome and help us in so many ways.”

“Today was the first time in my life that I’ve felt special, I have no family in this world but now I feel there are people around me.”

Once again, the event’s success was helped greatly by the large volunteer contingent with many businesses now using this as a Christmas opportunity to involve their staff in a worthwhile community project.

Total value of food provided

Campaign

People fed

Campaign

Children provided with gifts

Woman speaking at Christmas event
Woman in festive outfit

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