Helping our hapori, one BBQ at a time

The Switched On Housing BBQ has been out and about doing us proud recently! On Thursday September 8, we supported Hastings Intermediate to host a BBQ to raise funds for their Noho Marae coming up. The kura tied this kaupapa in with their learning on financial literacy and young enterprise, with tamariki and Switched On Housing kaimahi on sausage sizzle duty.

Casey Kireka - Delivery Supervisor and Gavin Chaplow - Training and Compliance Manager helped coordinate this community contribution initiative in collaboration with small-goods company Beard Brothers, who Switched On first partnered with during Cyclone Gabrielle.

“I could hear the excitement in the kids voices, talking about how many sausages they had sold!” Kireka says.

Helping our hapori is part of doing business for Switched On Group, with a particular focus on enhancing the hauora of the communities we live and work in. Fees for the Noho Marae were a barrier for some local whānau and the tamariki raised significant funds to ensure classmates could attend.

Last month, our BBQ and the team from Beard Brothers also provided kai for the Tamatea Junior Rugby Club Prize Giving, in association with the cultural team from the Hastings District Council.

“The whānau running Tamatea Junior Rugby Club have done a lot of mahi to not only build up the club but provide a positive environment for their tamaiti (boys) and mokopuna (grandchildren). They teach respect both on and off the field, help supply boots when needed and there is always kai available for hungry mouths. A lot of families are housed in the homes we help enhance so it’s a privilege to help support the great mahi being done here,” says Chaplow.

Some of our Switched On Building Solutions trades had been working out at Burnham in Ōtautahi under main contractor Hawkins building some new facilities. As part of their Health and Safety protocols they host Toolbox Talks for their subcontractors where they provide updates on the job, safety reminders and a chance to reflect over some kai.

This month the team providing the BBQ pulled out last minute and Carpenter Zane Carey saw an opportunity to help our hapori by lending a hand to our friends at Hawkins. Our Switched On BBQ had a roadie out to Rolleston and the team cooked a feed for around 80 hungry tradies.

We commend Zane, Gavin and Casey for caring beyond the job and creating a positive impact in our communities. E poho kererū ana ki a kōrua!

If you're a community group that supports whānau in one of the rohe we serve, get in touch to kōrero about how we can support you.