How Jubilee is building a village for mums
After Ebony Cleaver’s infant son got sick, she desperately needed skivvies to keep his neck and chest warm, but couldn’t find any in the shops.
Her search led her to Jubilee Budget Advisory Service’s Te Ao Puawai – Pregnancy Support programme where she got a lot more than warm clothes.
Cleaver, from Invercargill, walked out with a sense community, reassurance and food – a welcome relief for a family who had dropped to one income.
In the next month, Te Ao Puawai will be adding an education layer to its support programme through workshops and talks, and Cleaver hopes to give back by passing on some of her own skills.
When her son, Hunter, picked up a virus, he spent a week in hospital and 40 days on a feeding tubing.
Cleaver had to resign to be his full time carer.
She was struggling to find clothes that would keep his neck and chest warm to avoid future illness, so a friend suggested trying Jubilee Budget Advisory Service.
Once they learned about her situation they were looking for other ways to help, Cleaver said. ‘‘I was blown away by the amount of support they were willing to give. It really did help. It was a hard time when Hunter got sick.’’
She’s since gone through her older child’s stuff to see what can be passed on to the programme’s sharing shed and is hoping to do some crochet workshops in the future.
Cleaver also regularly encourages families to contact Jubilee for support. ‘‘I think there’s a big stigma around reaching out for help. People don’t do it enough,’’ she said.
In its first year, Te Ao Puawai has assisted 72 families – although there’s no telling how many pop in to pick goodies up from the sharing shed.
Jubilee general manager Sharon Soper said the programme was started after the Invercargill branch of Pregnancy Help closed, leaving a need in the community.
The bulk of families come through the financial services, but they’ve got many reasons for reaching out.
There’s the grandmother who suddenly found herself looking after a baby when her daughter was in hospital; a couple who lost their jobs because of Covid-19; a migrant mum with no family nearby; or a couple who were on ACC after a car accident.
Te Ao Puawai collects donations but also runs a rent to buy scheme for bigger ticket items like cots and car seats.
This enables parents, and gives them dignity – which is especially important for families who aren’t always comfortable receiving help.
From July, the programme will be offering talks for new parents; covering everything from how to bathe a child, to staying engaged rather than being on your device, and financial independence when moving from two incomes to one.
‘‘It’s all about empowerment and knowledge is empowering,’’ Soper said.