Supporting schools affected by the outbreak with agility and purpose

Via Pasifika Medical Association Group 

When the current Delta outbreak affected the schools of De La Salle College and McAuley High School, there was no hesitation by Pasifika Futures (PFL) - the Whānau Ora commissioning agency for Pacific families - to reach out and offer their support.

Families were instructed to self-isolate immediately so the school community needed support with food supplies, utility relief and mental health care to ensure they safely and comfortably remain in their bubbles.  

Deputy Principal for De La Salle College, Mr Elton Charles, said the school was grateful that PFL made significant efforts to quickly mobilize support to the students and their families.

“It was a curveball for the families. We had a large number of families mainly needing food support,” he said. 

 

Mr Charles said the school immediately communicated the support that PFL were offering and were then inundated with responses from families.

“It was a big eye-opener because we knew families were needing help but we didn’t know to what extent.  If it were not for PFL, I dread to think what our families would have gone through without that support.
Through our partnership with PFL, we were more hands-on and were able to tend to the families and their different needs”, says Mr Charles.

Principal for McAuley High School, Mrs Jan Waelen, echoed these sentiments.

“As a school, we have been fortunate to receive ongoing support from organisations including Pasifika Futures. We have been in regular contact with their staff, who have been busy organizing a range of support services for our students and their families”.

PFL’s Director of Learning Development, Mrs Lucyanne Laurenson, says a common concern for families was access to food due to the restrictions of self-isolation.

“The majority of the support provided was for food packages but we also offered mental health and financial support. Our Partner food hubs were bursting at the seams, so we formed an Urgent Response Team to deliver the packages ourselves to the families.”

She says PFL’s agility reflects the relationships they have with their partners and the schools’ families. It allowed them to respond and connect with those that needed help with speed and efficiency.

“We saw there was a need and reached out immediately. Everyone responded and came together to ensure our families were offered the necessary support.  When families are struggling, we need to be agile. Our purpose is to serve our families and that is what motivates our team to get the job done.”