Kia ora
August can be an unpredictable month weather-wise and we’ve had our share of wind and rain, but some sunny days too. Having to stay indoors isn’t such a bad thing and allows time for some spring cleaning and general tidying. Rearranging drawers and cupboards and decluttering our living areas can uncover long forgotten treasures as well as free up more space for the items we use most often. If you’re in decluttering mode, remember to have your unwanted items ready for the next inorganic collection - your Community Manager will let you know the future collection dates for your village.
On the subject of tidying, I recently visited four Haumaru villages in Auckland’s far south. The gardens looked beautiful, and the units and general surroundings were so well kept. It was clear that everyone took great pride in where they lived. I’d like to thank our tenants everywhere for all that you do to keep your environments neat and tidy.
Winter may be drawing to a close, but please do continue wearing a mask when out and about, and test and stay home if you’re sick. These are incredibly effective ways to slow the spread of COVID-19, influenza and other seasonal illnesses. A second COVID booster shot is now available, and anyone who’s tested positive and is over 75 years of age can also access COVID-19 antiviral medication from their local pharmacy. But let’s take all the recommended precautions in the first place and stay free of COVID if we possibly can!
Roll on the longer, warmer days of spring that are just around the corner.
Kai pai te rā!
Gillian Schweizer,
GM Operations
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All aboard!
Tenants have been taking advantage of the opportunity to get out and about, now that our minibus trips are in full swing again. Villagers from Birkdale Court recently enjoyed a trip to the Swanson RSA for lunch, and their wonderful driver from The Selwyn Foundation had everyone in great spirits well before they’d even set off for the day! The Swanson RSA comes highly recommended for their amazing lunch menu, so add it to your wish list of places you’d like to go and your Community Manager will put it on the schedule.
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Celebrating 27 years at Peggy Phillips
Meet Val Beacham who’s just celebrated her 27th anniversary as a tenant of Peggy Phillips Village in Takapuna. Val keeps herself very busy and enjoys working in her garden, going to art class, meeting up with neighbours for a coffee, and making the most of the various bus trips that are on offer for seniors. Over the years, she’s made many friends in the village and is an excellent neighbour, looking after people’s cats when they’re away or lending a hand with a spot of cleaning when needed. Val always greets you with a smiling face and a bit of banter. Congratulations on your 27th anniversary at Peggy Phillips, Val!
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A fond farewell for Maria
Elsewhere at Peggy Phillips, another long-standing tenant, Maria Wienand (on the right of our photo), was hosted to a special farewell morning tea by her neighbours on the eve of moving to Australia’s Gold Coast. Enjoy your new life by the beach, Maria. We’ll miss you, but thank you for being a lovely neighbour.
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Chinese mid-winter celebration
The Wiri Community Hall was the setting for a delightful Chinese mid-winter celebration event, which was organised recently for Inverell Court tenants by our friend Zhengxiu Xie of the Independent Living Service Charitable Trust (ILS). A delicious traditional Chinese lunch was enjoyed by all, with cultural performances adding to the occasion. Joining tenants were members of the Manurewa Local Board and Auckland Councillor Daniel Newman. It was a lovely get-together, for which we send our thanks and appreciation to Xiu and her colleagues at ILS.
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Village meeting under sunny blue skies
Tenants of Pukekohe’s Parkway village turned out in force for a village meeting on 11 August on what was a beautiful sunny winter morning. With food to share, music and singing and lots of good conversation, it was a great way to connect as a community. Attending along with Community Manager Danielia were the local constable, who spoke to everyone about keeping safe, and Haumaru’s General Manager Operations Gillian Schweizer. Here’s looking forward to many more village ‘meets’ under deep blue skies.
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You are what you eat!
For great recipe suggestions tailored to the specific needs of older people, have a look at the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation’s JUST COOK recipe book and the videos at www.tinyurl.com/just-cook. The Foundation has been developing programmes and resources over a number of years to help older people eat well, and you can find useful information and easy recipes on their website. What you eat makes a big difference to your health as you age, so get cooking!
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New Age-Friendly Seniors Directory launched
Haumaru Housing was recently involved in the launch of a new Age-Friendly Seniors Directory which is an initiative of Auckland Council’s Connected Communities Department. The new publication is the first in a series of information booklets which provide a complete listing of service providers in local neighbourhoods and which will be of particular use as a reference source to seniors. The first edition focusses on Māngere-Ōtāhuhu and was launched at the Local Board event on 30 June. Versions of the directory will be available for the other Local Board areas in due course, with copies to be distributed through local libraries. You can access the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu directory here: www.tinyurl.com/man-ota-agefriendly.
