Category: Youth Houses

Caritas Challenge 2017

A new year, a new Caritas Challenge for the year 2017. And many many new tasks and challenges for us in our daily life to help saving our planet.

Over 80 people from Challenge, our Youth Houses and from all around Wellington, Porirua and the Hutt took part of the “Sleep in a cardboard house”-challenge and enjoyed talks, activities, authentic food and workshops about climate change. This year’s main project is the support of Kiribati: Due to the higher and higher rising sea level, it becomes almost impossible for them to stay on their land. But we want to keep up their spirit and culture, their communities and families and became part of the Caritas Challenge 2017 with this weekend’s big event. Sleeping in cardboard houses and learning heaps about how WE can save OUR planet.

How can YOU save OUR planet?

 

Youth Houses – BIG DAY OUT

Over the weekend, all the Youth Houses got together – a day for fun in the sun, and food to be shared. The day was filled with team sports in the morning, lunch and then more sports in the afternoon. Teams were made up and given a specific colour to wear.

Throughout the day there was a range of games where teams (young and old) played against each other… In the hope to be the winning colour thinking was strategic!
Teams brought their spirit, fairness, fun, laughter and at times, chose to be competitive!!! It certainly was a fun day!
Thanks to all those who organised it and for Junior for the being the ref!!

Fun day at the Island Bay festival

A MASSIVE thank you to all of our staff and volunteers who helped in preparing for the Island Bay Festival; for donating goods, tidying the section at 209, preparing the Hall and for taking time out of your weekend to help make it a success!

It was a great day humming with lively music, face painting, sausages, baking and loads miscellaneous treasures for sale.

People commented on how nice it was to have the Hall opened up and to learn about Challenge 2000 and the work we do in the Community.

 

Visit by Fr Larry Duffy from the Society of Mary

Father Larry Duffy, an Irish Marist, based in Rome on the Society of Mary International Leadership team visited Challenge 2000 this week.

After a powhiri and hakari he met with staff to hear about how things are for young people in Aotearoa New Zealand today and how Challenge 2000 meets the needs of our young people and their families.

 

Later in the day, Father Larry visited the Marist Challenge Youth houses and heard about this partnership and how it has changed lives.  There was a strong spirit of hospitality, generosity, simplicity, mission, love and service.

Jacob and Chris shared their reflections on their connection with the Marists and Te Po, Heath, Daniel, Kirsty, Nicole, Therese, John, Keeley and others spoke of the growth and achievement in their lives.

A great night and BBQ!

Exciting News!!!!!

Challenge 2000 and TSA’s Wellington Youth Services have formalised their working relationship by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the aim of achieving better outcomes for young people.

Under the agreement, Challenge 2000 will take responsibility for Sanctuary House, a transitional home for young women, previously run by Wellington Youth Services. ‘We have been looking at how we can continue to ensure there is a safe, supportive environment where we can house young women’ states Tim O’Donovan, TSA’s Director of Wellington Community Ministries. ‘By working with Challenge 2000 we are confident that Sanctuary House and the young women seeking refuge there have an optimistic future.’

The agreement will enable a much closer relationship between the two organisations. ‘The alignment of our beliefs and values as Christian organisations and the opportunity to bring together our different communities of young people are motivating factors in developing the relationship with Wellington Youth Services’ says Kitty McKinley, founder of Challenge 2000.

Challenge 2000 will provide staff to live at Sanctuary House while both organisations will accept referrals and provide social work support for young women living there.

‘It’s no secret we have struggled to attract volunteers to live at Sanctuary House so we are very grateful to Challenge 2000 staff for providing a stable home-like environment’ says Tim O’Donovan.

Both Challenge 2000 and Wellington Youth Services believe that working together at Sanctuary House will result in even greater collaboration and the potential to develop new and exciting joint initiatives.

‘We are very much looking forward to seeing the benefits of this partnership reflected in the positive outcomes achieved by the young people we are supporting’ says Kitty McKinley.

For more information please contact:

Tim O’Donovan, Director of Wellington Community Services, The Salvation Army: tim_odonovan@nzf.salvationarmy.org

Kitty McKinley, Founder, Challenge 2000: kittymckinley@xtra.co.nz