Here at The Good Registry, we love sharing stories about kindness. This week we’re shining the light on five of our incredible Wellington-based charities, who work hard and bring positive change to our communities.
The Common Unity Project Aotearoa (CUPA)
The Common Unity Project Aotearoa works for long-term positive change in Lower Hutt and beyond. CUPA creates a wide range of community-led projects that empower local families, schools, and organisations to be sustainable solution makers. One of their main projects is the Unity Kitchen — a commercial kitchen situated onsite in a refurbished solar panelled shipping container. Ingredients are collected from 14 urban farms around the Hutt Valley region and are then made into healthy, wholesome and homegrown meals available for sale. Each meal is priced at only $6.50 and for each one sold; one is gifted to a child from one of five local partner schools. CUPA also runs sewing classes, knitting groups, a recycled bicycle workshop and library, a beekeeping and honey collective, and annual sunflower planting. CUPA wants children to flourish, and brings the community together to grow food, skills, enterprise and leadership.
Kaibosh
Kaibosh is New Zealand’s first food rescue organisation, operating in Wellington, Hutt Valley, Kāpiti and Horowhenua. They rescue and sort food, linking the food industry with community groups and charities, ensuring that quality surplus food reaches those who are struggling, rather than being discarded. With a small staff and a dedicated team of more than 230 volunteers, Kaibosh redistributes up to 30,000kg of quality surplus food each month, benefiting both the community and our environment. Kaibosh provides their service at no cost to food donors, charities or community groups. The impact their food rescue has or our communities is phenomenal. To date, Kaibosh has rescued more than 1,000,000kg of food and provided more than 4 million meals to people in need, as well as more than 500,000kg in carbon emission reductions. Not only do charities and community groups receive a wide range of healthy and nutritious food, but volunteers have a direct and positive impact on their community and environment too.
Wellington Sexual Abuse HELP
Wellington Sexual Abuse HELP is a Wellington charity that has been supporting survivors of sexual abuse and their whānau for more than 30 years. Sexual abuse and assault can happen to anybody, so Wellington HELP supports anyone that has encountered sexual violence no matter their age, gender or sexual orientation. In Wellington, Porirua and Kāpiti, Wellington HELP offers a 24/7 support line, social work, counselling and other therapy services. Their services are provided at no or very little cost to clients, and the practical and emotional support from their clinicians helps survivors on their journey to wellbeing. In 2019 alone, 737 people used Wellington HELP’s services, 289 calls were made to their 24/7 support line, and 2470 social work intervention events were carried out. Wellington HELP works hard to support individuals, whānau and communities affected by sexual violence, and their vision is a world free from sexual abuse.
Compassion Soup Kitchen
Started more than a century ago in 1901, Compassion Soup Kitchen is a beloved institution and a source of food security to Wellington’s marginalised people. Compassion Soup Kitchen supports people in need who are marginalised through mental health issues, addictions, homelessness and poverty. The Soup Kitchen serves two hot meals a day, breakfast (7.45am-8.45am) and dinner (4.45pm-5.45pm) for $2 each. They make up to 150 meals a day, and have recently increased the service to 7 days a week to respond to increasing need in the Wellington community. Within the Soup Kitchen, guests have the opportunity to join in social gatherings, entertainment and other activities. They believe that being part of the wider community and engaging in meaningful activities is fundamental to the health and well-being of all people. The Soup Kitchen works closely with other hands-on social agencies including the Downtown Community Ministry, Te Aro Health Centre, Wellington Night Shelter (also a charity partner with The Good Registry), CCDHB Homelessness Initiative and CCDHB mental health services. Through the Soup Kitchen, guests can access the support and services they need. The organisation also offers one-to-one advocacy and help with specialist housing, budgeting and health care. Far more than just a soup kitchen, Compassion Soup Kitchen enhances the Wellington community through food security, opportunities for community involvement, and social support.
Wellington Women’s Refuge
Wellington Women’s Refuge provides support to women and their children who have experienced domestic violence in the Wellington community. Operating for more than 40 years, WWR supports, empowers, and provides services to make safe decisions for the future. WWR works with women from a range of ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations and socio-economic backgrounds. They provide a safe-house, as well as operating a community office and 24-hour crisis phone line, which received more than 1,000 calls last year. WWR provides a confidential listening ear, advocacy for appointments, referrals to understanding counsellors, lawyers and doctors as well as information for safety planning, legal processes and housing options. WWR works hard to support and empower women and children who have or are experiencing domestic violence, and to provide community education to teach practical skills for recognising and responding to domestic violence.
The Community Unity Project Aotearoa, Kaibosh, Wellington Sexual Abuse Help, Compassion Soup Kitchen and Wellington Women’s Refuge are all charity partners with The Good Registry. Along with our other 65 charity partners, these charities work hard to support, empower and improve the community we live in.
To support the incredible work of these charities in our communities there are three simple ways to do that through The Good Registry:
- You can make donations through our #KindnessFrom Home Page.
- If you have a birthday or special occasion coming up you can create a charitable registry, and select a charity for your friends and family to make donations to.
- Or, if you need to buy a gift, give the power to do good with Good Gift Cards. They reduce waste by replacing traditional gifts, and enable the recipient to make donations to any of our 65 charities, and experience the joy of giving!
Anyone from small kids to big businesses can show they care with donations to good causes instead of unnecessary gifts.
You can hear from good kiwis and businesses who have used The Good Registry to give more simply, sustainably and kindly, on our inspirational Giving Wall.
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