Delta Covid has certainly disrupted our Children’s, Youth Ministry and Sacramental Programmes!
However last Saturday November 6th, we held one Confirmation Mass at SS Peter and Paul’s for 18 of our children and their families. Numbers were of course restricted to 100. Even though we had challenging circumstances, everyone really worked hard to make this Mass a special time for our children.
We were very blessed to have Cardinal John Dew as our lead celebrant alongside Pete Roe, everyone seemed very happy, and Spirit filled during and after the Mass.
A big thank you to so many of our Youth ministry, Missions team and those who helped with decorating the church, running the Sacramental programme and preparing the children for the mass. Love works and so does the Holy Spirit!
CONGRATULATIONS to our newly Confirmed young Catholics.
The past few months have been busy for the Gap Year Students.
They have arrived back on their various placements, which they all absolutely loved!
These ranged from going down to Dunedin to spend time with some of the Dominican Sisters, attending Outward Bound in Anakiwa, teacher aiding at St Mary’s in Carterton and St Benedict’s Primary, helping out at the Blossom Festival at Kaitoke Gardens and helping at an animal rescue farm… to name a few…
We are now counting down the final weeks of their Gap Year Programme!
Want to work in a flexible, organic, staff and community-friendly agency? Then apply to join Challenge 2000 now to start a new way of working!
C2K is a professional Social Work and Youth Development agency that provides a wide, dynamic range of services for young people and families in the Wellington Region.
One means of support Challenge 2000 provides is MASSiSS (Multi-Agency Support Services in Secondary Schools), with a team of social workers based in six secondary schools across Porirua and the Hutt Valley. We are seeking an experienced social worker to join this team.
You must be:
A qualified and experienced social worker
Registered with the SWRB
Able to support Challenge 2000’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and express that commitment via your social and community work practice
Committed to and experienced in working with Māori and Pacific communities
Experienced in working with adolescents and their families
Committed to a strengths-based approach and empowering young people to achieve their dreams
Solution-focused, goal-oriented and a critical thinker
Committed to social justice and social transformation
An effective communicator
Able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary College and community team
Able to network and build effective working relationships with other agencies
Keen to develop new ways of supporting youth and families to develop their strengths and create the present and future they desire
Applicants must also have:
New Zealand residency or a valid New Zealand work visa
A current full clean drivers licence
The salary for this position is negotiable for the right applicant. Come and talk this through if you want a new opportunity to use your knowledge and skills to make a difference.
Applications closeThursday 2nd December 2021.
If you’re believe you have the skills and experience to fulfil this role, please send your CV and covering letter to Damian Dempsey atinfo@challenge2000.org.nz or call 04 477 6827 to arrange a chat.
Not long ago a few of the Challenge Whanau went up to Hawkes Bay for a few days. It was for a Social Justice retreat with year 11 St John’s boys.
It was super fun and throughout the day we did a bunch of activities with them.
One activity that stood out was the Privilege Walk which was where we read out a bunch of statements, and you stepped forward if it applied to you.
It was super powerful, as it showed the huge differences in privilege amongst their classmates. It was an awesome experience heading up to Hawkes Bay to deliver such an important programme!
Challenge 2000 youth workers facilitate afterschool youth programmes at both the Linden and Newlands Community Centres. These programmes are a safe place for rangatahi to hang out and catch up over some kai, do some fun activities and connect with each other. These programmes run during the school term for intermediate and high school aged young people and are free. Young people who attend these programmes also have the opportunity to attend activity days with Challenge 2000 in the school holidays.
If you have a young person who is interested in joining these programmes please get in touch with Tamsyn Sutherland on 0211917284 or tamsynsutherland@challenge2000.org.nz
Newlands Community Youth Programme Where: Newlands Community Centre When: Mondays and Wednesdays 3pm-5pm
Linden Leadership Programme Where: Linden Community Centre When: Wednesdays and Fridays 3pm-5pm
In recent months, we’ve worked with seven young people on one programme or another, all with on-going support in place. Each of the rangatahi is supported in a way that suits their current needs and situation; assistance with attending school, after-school support, work experience, mentoring and guidance, work-ready preparation and skills development, and pro-social activities such as being a part of a sports team in the community.
A number of success stories have emerged. Challenge 2000 has supported one young person who successfully completed a hospitality course with a coffee business, leading to potential employment. We’ve also supported another young person through to a discharge from the court system and work towards getting a job. Several of our rangatahi are currently working towards qualifications and are getting experience serving members of the public. For some young people, returning to an educational institute after some time away is a significant achievement in itself. Through a mixture of mentoring, education and guidance, often working in tandem with other agencies, Challenge 2000 has offered opportunities to our rangatahi to develop and succeed in a non-judgemental, supportive environment.
Looking for a handyman or two to get the job done? Challenge 2000’s Missions Team could be just what you’re looking for!
Hard-working, honest and reliable, we have years of experience of getting jobs done. Gardening, water-blasting, painting, furniture removal… and much much more.
If you need a hand, let us know.In Alert Level 2 we’re ready to get back out there and swing into action.
For more info, call us on 04 477 6827 and leave a message for Felise.
All at Challenge 2000 say a huge THANK YOU to our whanau and community members who have given us money, food, toys, games and other essential items to pass on to those who are struggling. Because of your generosity and care we have been able to provide 200 grocery deliveries (we don’t like the word food parcels!) so far in this lockdown as well as money to those who couldn’t afford their rent or time payments on vehicles. We have also been able to give petrol vouchers to essential workers and people who needed to visit supermarkets, get vaccinated or tested and access services.
A special shout out to Kiwi Community Assistance, Farm Fresh, St Vincent de Paul, the Society of Mary, three other individual benefactors, St Francis of Assisi Parish, Kaibosh, our Board members and Yeah Nah Quizzes for your generous donations.
Also a shout out to our frontline staff who are keeping connected with our young people and whanau in this challenging time! Kei runga noa atu Whanau – You’re the bomb!
We’re still in this together, so please if you are struggling or have whanau/neighbours/friends struggling or stressed, get in touch with us. Challenge is here to support. Call us on 04 477 6827, or email stephpenny@challenge2000.org.nz or emmamiddleton@challenge2000.org.nz
AND if you can still offer support or can donate any of following:
Food items, fresh or non-perishable, and milk, bread, butter, chicken, mince
Household cleaning products and personal and family toiletries
Hand sanitizer, gloves and masks (bought or home-made)
Shopping bags or boxes to put deliveries in
Or simply donate to Challenge 2000: 01-0519-0057660-00 Marked Covid Response so we can buy the food that our young people or families need. Remember also to e mail us so we can send you a receipt!
We will gratefully receive all items and follow Level 3 health and safety guidelines when we collect from your place or office.
ALSO : to the unknown benefactor who donated through Transferwise! Who are you??
O lo’u igoa o Petrina Foaese, I am from the beautiful Hutt Valley but currently live in Kilbirnie. I am one of the youth house leaders supporting our young adults. Living in a youth house has taught me about community and service outside my role as a youth worker in schools.
In a youth house, we try our best to build a safe and comfortable space for rangatahi to learn about themselves and to become more independent and responsible with their decisions. As youth house leaders, we are there to guide and support them.
Living in a youth house, I have experienced both difficult and positive times, which is expected. That is why we value the importance of manaakitanga and communication in the youth house, to build relationships and support positive dynamics in the house. The transition from adolescence to adulthood is difficult. Therefore, supporting our young ones to develop life skills at this stage of their lives is important for their safety and their future. We hope these skills will encourage them to pursue their goals and aspirations.
Some of the ways I contribute to supporting our young adults are cooking, daily chats and check-ins about life, house and living skills, and meeting their whānau.
The support is not just one-way. As a youth house leader, I’ve also learnt a lot from our rangatahi and young adults. It is amazing what they know and what they want to contribute to the community.
During lockdown, we’ve been able to get a few things done outside and inside the house. We did a big clean-up while the weather was nice. It has also been great to learn more about each other in a different environment. There have been a lot of Zoom sessions for many of us in the house, for both work and study. It’s also been great to see the young ones try new kai.
Before the COVID-19 lockdown, we were able to have dinner with one of the Mercy Sisters who also generously support our community. We were able to connect with one of the young adult’s whānau when they stayed over for a significant event. We hope we can get back to this once lockdown restrictions are lowered.
