Terangiataahua is a mother to seven children. Her first visit to Visionwest was for a kai parcel, but she left with a booked meeting with a Whānau Centre Support Navigator for wraparound support and to begin a journey which would change her life forever.
“One day, I was walking past the Visionwest Glengarry Road offices; I saw a lady standing outside and just walked up to her and said, ‘Hello. I need help, please.’”
Terangiataahua was introduced to Visionwest’s Whānau Centre where she met Arnia, a Support Navigator. “I just cried and cried and cried. I was lost; this really was the last straw. Arnia was so patient. She told me everything’s going to be okay.
“When I came to Auckland it was just me but, with Arnia’s help, I got all my kids back. It was a hard road, but we got there, and you know why? Because I finally had someone who believed in me.”
The reunited whānau – all nine of them – were in a 2½ bedroom home. The children, one with rheumatic heart disease, were sleeping in a cold, constantly damp room. Through Visionwest’s Winter Warmer funding, the whānau received extra blankets, hot water bottles, and a dehumidifier for the home. But it wasn’t enough.
“It was crazy. There was water coming down the wall. At the time, the kids had new beds, all still in their boxes, that I couldn’t put up because there was no room. I stacked those against the wall to stop the wet from coming down onto my son.”
By advocating for Terangiataahua at Kāinga Ora, a more suitable 5-bedroom home was found. That has been a life-changer for the entire family. “Having a stable address changes everything. In emergency housing, my kids couldn’t go to school; with no stable address there’s no way to enrol. Same with doctors. I feel like being in emergency housing robbed my kids of an education and medical help.”
Through Visionwest, Terangiataahua received support from a number of support services including, Winter Warmer Funding, Sustaining Tenancy Support, Kainga Ora Advocacy, Furniture Support, Counselling, Youth Support, Work and Income Advocacy, and Christmas From The Heart.
She’s full of praise and gratitude for the support she’s received, “I know for sure, if I hadn’t stopped at Visionwest that day, I’d be homeless and probably an alcoholic; maybe even a druggie, and I certainly wouldn’t have my kids.”
“When I came to Visionwest, I was at my lowest of my lowest. I was going to give up on my kids, but Visionwest changed my life around. Sure, I still have a lot of work to do, but I’m a totally different person today than I ever have been. I have back everything that everybody had taken from me; my pride, my self-worth, my sense of being a mum. Amazing to think that, not long ago, I was at the point of giving up.