Thank you

Erin Kavanagh-Hall reached out on social media, asking locals to nominate some of the unsung heroes of the lockdown who have gone over and above to support their community through the quarantine. And it’s safe to say, there are so many more that are not listed here…

Health

No ‘thank you’ would be complete without first acknowledging our debt to all the medical staff at Wairarapa DHB, and at Medical Centres throughout the region. They were at the frontline in the recent health crisis, and we will be forever grateful.

Special mention goes to Masterton-based medical centre and social services hub Whaiora remained open for business during lockdown. With assistance from Masterton Police, Whanau Ora and Equippers Church, the team assembled and delivered over 1000 hygiene packs of gloves, masks, hand-sanitiser, and heavy duty cleaning products. 

Staff at Kandahar Home and Kandahar Court also embraced technology. The rest home invested in a suite of tablet computers – and, with guidance from their carers – residents were able to make video calls or send emails to their loved ones. 

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Wairarapa Cancer Society continued to support people – including transporting patients out of the region for treatment. However, as the majority of its 56 volunteer drivers are over 70, and unable to leave their “bubbles”, the society was left with a skeleton crew of five drivers.

Centre manager Jacinta Buchanan said the drivers rose to the occasion. “There were no complaints – they just got on with the job. They do this because they care about our clients.”

Also supporting the elderly was the Wairarapa Care Network, which provides in-home care for people aged 65-plus. Co-ordinator Elaine Leggott says her staff paid regular visits to their clients – dropping off home-cooked meals, delivering groceries, and collecting medications. Elaine says the regular contact helped the clients, many of whom live alone, stay connected to the outside world. 

Elaine is also the driving force behind the Doing A Good Deed online community – a Facebook group dedicated to helping Wairarapa locals in need. During lockdown, Elaine and the group members delivered 50 handmade cards to elderly people on Anzac Day, as well as hundreds of poppies to hang in their windows. 

Personal protective equipment (PPE) has been foremost in the minds of medical workers around the country. Carterton local David Johnson joined the ShieldsUp movement, a nationwide community-driven initiative providing face shields for frontline health workers. During the lockdown, David and a fellow Wairarapa local supplied close to 100 face shields.

Mental health and financial support

Receiving several nominations was Masterton life and health coach Wendy Mouldey who, wanting to create an online community for Wairarapa locals feeling adrift, set up the Facebook group Love Your Neighbour Wairarapa. Wendy used her life coaching skills to help energize people struggling to cope with the sudden change.

Last year, Masterton mum of three Abby Hollingsworth founded The Ruth Project, a charitable organisation supporting families struggling with post-natal depression. During lockdown, Abby and her co-founders offered support via Zoom, and posted live videos on Facebook. Abby says. “We wanted to make sure our clients didn’t feel lost and forgotten at this hard time.”

Several other community organisations have continued supporting their regulars from afar. Henley Men’s Shed set up a phone tree for men living alone, King Street Artworks has a Facebook chat group for artists, and Come Sew With Me delivered sewing materials for its members to use at home. 

A source of comfort and reassurance has been Viv Lyster – working at Greytown’s Fresh Choice, she has not only provided groceries, but kindness, empathy and a listening ear for anxious shoppers. A former teacher aide and social worker, Viv has been happy to let her customers “download - whether they’re business people who have lost their livelihood, mothers stressed by home-schooling, or older people feeling lost and confused.

Nothing causes one’s mental health to go haywire quite like financial stress. Luckily, the Wairarapa Free Budget Advisory Service operated through the lockdown. All of the service’s clients are on total money management programmes (their wages and/benefit are paid directly to the service, which ensures their bills are paid). Volunteers Sally Heming and Glenn Arnold worked long hours to keep their regulars’ rent and utilities payments up to date. Sally and Glenn are grateful to the Masterton ANZ branch, which allowed the service to cash cheques for the clients unable to use online banking.

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Education

Heartfelt thanks goes to all Wairarapa educators – who grappled with new systems to ensure children and young people could learn from home. And thanks also to parents, many of whom were in the unfamiliar territory of home-schooling, while working from home. 

One very special nominee is Chanel College mathematics and business studies teacher Rachael Cato, who worked with over 70 Year 7 to 13 students as they adjusted to distance learning - as well as solo parenting her two children and supporting her elderly mother. 

Chanel provided laptops and other devices to families unable to access technology. 

Rachael says online learning has been “challenging, yet extremely rewarding”, and has allowed her to build stronger relationships with her students - the heart and soul of teaching.

Keeping us fed

When Subway Masterton closed its doors at the start of the lockdown, owner/manager Terry Inglis was left with a large supply of perishable meat and vegetables. Terry put together food parcels, delivering to elderly people in his neighbourhood and Masterton Food Bank. When Subway re-opened, he dropped off freshly-baked cookies to essential businesses, including Wairarapa Hospital and various rest homes. 

Laurence Titter is a fighter with a heart of gold. With funding from the Ministry of Social Development, and support from Kahungunu ki Wairarapa (KKW), the founder of the Wairarapa Boxing Academy assembled and delivered  over 1500 food parcels to families in need. “Several thousand” Easter Eggs were delivered to kids. 

Entertainment and media

Spreading a little magic during the lockdown was Greytown’s Zappo, long-time children’s entertainer and magician. Since late March, Zappo filmed and uploaded free daily magic shows on his Facebook page and Youtube channel. His shows – featuring stories, songs, Cavalier King Charles puppy Alfie and, of course, magic tricks - brought smiles to many kids.

Up-to-date information, classic tunes and comforting, familiar voices – Michael Wilson of Arrow FM and More FM Wairarapa’s Brent Gare kept spirits up with their daily banter. Between interviewing mayors, politicians and local entertainers, promoting Wairarapa-made products, and fielding phone calls, (including a man who made a $100 donation to the Masterton Food Bank – and encouraged all his mates to do the same) these broadcasting veterans have been a treat for the ears. 

Speaking of which – Featherston artist and muso Campbell Kneale cast a global net when it came to supporting homegrown talent. Campbell put together Psi-solation, a compilation album featuring 119 alternative musical artists. Musicians from all over the world contributed and, with each track, sent a photo of the view from outside their window. The compilation, and accompanying photos, can be downloaded for a koha from bandcamp.com - with proceeds going towards Featherston creative hub The Miracle Room.