Community Connector at Waihī Beach
Life can sometimes throw you a few curve balls and it can be difficult to know where to turn to for help.
That’s where Angela Wallace, Community Connector, comes in, by helping people access the support they need.
The Community Connector role is funded by the Ministry of Social Development and is one of the ways the government is helping communities bounce back from Covid. Angela has already been instrumental in making a difference in people’s lives in Katikati and Waihī Beach since she started in the role earlier this year.
Angela has linked people to support services, helping others with Work and Income advocacy and accessed emergency assistance for young mums and the elderly living alone, making life safer and more comfortable for them. She has partnered with SociaLink bringing families into the Digital Divide project and providing them with an internet connection and Chromebook computer.
“I love meeting people from all walks of life, getting to know them and helping them to find an answer to their question or a solution to their problem,” says Angela. “Often I'll meet with people who have had a change of circumstances such as a job loss or unexpected illness. Helping to connect them with the right support and seeing them move ahead is really rewarding.”
Angela worked with Anna Schroeder from 'Live Well Waihī Beach' on creating the ‘Need a Hand?’ directory of all the support services available for Waihī Beach and Katikati residents. WBOP District Council assisted with the design and BOP DHB express printed the pocket-sized flyer during the lockdown. In Alert Level 4 the free flyer was available to the community at supermarkets and community food stalls.
Angela is based at the Katikati Community Centre, 45 Beach Road on Monday, and Wednesday to Friday, and upstairs (via the library) at the Waihī Beach Community Centre, 106 Beach Road on Tuesdays from 9am to 3pm.
Feel free to drop in and see Angela or phone 549 0399 for an appointment. It's a service that is free of
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