4 February 2025 – New Zealand
Neighbourhood Support Napier and Hastings recently hosted an information evening for volunteers for the SAFE-CARE project.
SAFE-CARE is a multi-agency program specifically targeting multicultural communities in Napier and Hastings, recognizing the unique challenges and needs of these groups.
"We know that that 1 in 6 people living in our communities are born overseas, with residents from over 70 countries and ethnic groups calling our district home. We are aware that a lot of our newcomers and migrants are difficult for our partner agencies such as FENZ, Police, Civil Defence to reach with safety messages. We are also aware that there are families and a lot of women that are very isolated and have no contact with their neighbours or anyone outside of their home and within their own communities, they have no knowledge of events and the amazing programmes that we have in this area for our migrant families.
This is where SAFE-CARE and the volunteer roles come in. We need people that can talk to our migrant community in their homes and in their own language. FENZ has a programme called SAFE (Smoke Alarms For Everyone) which is an amazing group of volunteers that go into homes, put smoke alarms up and discuss home fire safety, this will be the SAFE-CARE teams opening to go into our migrants’ homes. The SAFE-CARE volunteers will go further though, and start to discuss other subjects such as Neighbourhood Support, crime awareness, emergency preparedness and information about coffee mornings, women only swimming lessons and other events to connect these families to their communities.
The success of this program relies on strong collaboration between FENZ, Civil Defence, the Police, Neighbourhood Support, Welcoming Communities, the Multicultural Association Hawke’s Bay, and local support services. Community involvement is also crucial, with efforts to engage residents through outreach, education, and participation in program activities.
The evening was a great success, with over 15 people wishing to join the SAFE-CARE programme as volunteers, with 10 different languages spoken."
— Colette Hall, Napier City Council/Neighbourhood Support Napier
-ENDS
About Neighbourhood Support New Zealand
Neighbourhood Support is a nationwide community led movement that brings people and neighbourhoods together to create safe, resilient, and connected communities. Over 220,000 households are part of our growing network. Neighbourhood Support work alongside NZ Police and other partners to equip neighbourhoods to improve safety, be prepared for emergencies and support one another so that our communities are great places to live.
Address (appointment only)
C/O Police National Headquarters
180 Molesworth Street
Thorndon, Wellington, 6011
New Zealand
Email - info@neighbourhoodsupport.co.nz
Phone - 0800 4 NEIGHBOURS (0800 463 444)
Twitter - https://twitter.com/nsnewzealand
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