Kia ora koutou
This Special Edition is to keep you upto date with the work that CNA and many of it’s members are continuing to provide through the lock down..
We encourage you to send this newsletter out through your networks.

• How Your Feedback Helps Us Keep The Government Informed.
• Communal Cuppa Zoom Anyone?
• Zooming Like You Just Don’t Care!
• Latest Update From Your Local Civil Defense
• From Brenda Pilott Manager Social Service Providers Aotearoa
• Government Updates
• Sir John Kirwan Makes Mental Health App Free
• Upcoming Webinar
• About Community Networks Aotearoa

How Your Feedback Helps Us
Keep The Government Informed.

Kia ora all of our fabulous members,

This is a super special Network News.  We wanted to update you on what is happening here in Wellington, and what we are doing in this time.
How does your information and weekly updates get passed on?
Firstly I am all over the place on Zoom (thank goodness I already had a paid for Zoom account), and teleconferences.  So what sort of meetings am I attending?
I am a member of the Network of Networks group that has been put together by NEMA. (National Emergency Management Agency).  That means twice a week I am in communication with multiple Government Department representatives.  Some of the departments involved (but not all) include Oranga Tamariki; Department of Health; MSD; MBIE; Police; Ministry of Primary Industries; Immigration Department; and lots of others.  I join this group with Tess Casey (our Chairperson) from Neighbourhood Support NZ and Chris Glaudel (Committee Member) from Community Housing Aotearoa. 

I join in a regular zoom with up to 70 other NGOs and representatives from philanthropy and social enterprise.  These zooms have led to a letter to the Prime Minister about issues for the Community and Voluntary sector. Links to recordings of a couple of these zooms are included in this newsletter are included, plus a link to the letter to the Prime Minister.
I get regular calls every couple of days with staff at MSD.  These are personal conversations and have been a great conduit between the two organisations
Add to these things we are doing like updating our CoVid19 page on our Website and Facebook. Check them daily.  Also twice a week, we are doing a fairly relaxed zoom chat called “Join us for a Cuppa”.  We have sent out the zoom link, and will again.  If you want to join, just come on in and chat with us and other members from around NZ.
There are lots of other things going on, but I wanted you to know these.  Read on for other things.  Please make sure, at least once a week send us a bullet listed update on any issues you think we should know, both good and bad.  These things end up going up the line and if you don’t let us know, we don’t have the information we can share to show Government and other NGOs what the value of this sector is to our communities.  Please diary it and share it with us once a week.  Thanks to those who are regularly already updating us.
Stay safe wherever you are and know that you are on our minds, and that we are here to help if we can.

Ros, E.O. at C.N.A.

And lastly, as always, remember we’re here to help. If you’re a member of CNA and have a problem or issue, or just need some information, please don’t hesitate to contact me on (04) 472 3364 or eo@communitynetworksaotearoa.org.nz. 

Communal Cuppa Zoom Anyone?

Remember to take a break every now and then. Join Ros and Me for a Communal Cuppa Zoom – it’s like cuppa soup, but better for you.

Every Wednesday at 10am and Friday at 3pm we’ll be hosting a Communal Cuppa Zoom and we invite you to join us for a chat. You don’t have to stay the entire time – it might just be to pop in and say ‘Hi”.

It’s been great to put faces to names, to have members meet each other and find out how much the same we are and how we’re doing.

To join us each Wed 10am – CLICK HERE for the Zoom
To join us each Fri 3pm – CLICK HERE for the Zoom
OR  email Ros (as she’s hosting) at eo@communitynetworksaotearoa.org.nz .

Please remember that you may be briefly put into the ‘waiting room’ when you join before entering the chat. And just to remind you to take a break we’ll be emailing a reminder on the morning of a Communal Cuppa.

Zooming Like You Just Don’t Care!

Zoom has certainly taken off, but don’t worry if you’re unsure about the whole shebang. Here’s a great link to Zoom’s Resources page to help you Zoom better.

Including : Effective Remote Working  – Educating Over Zoom – Hosting Virtual Events – TeleHealth

Latest Update From Your Local Civil Defense

This weekly newsletter serves to provide you with local up-to-date information from Civil Defence Emergency Operations Centre and resources available to you while supporting our community’s most vulnerable people right now.

For the latest CLICK HERE

From Brenda Pilott
Manager Social Service Providers Aotearoa

(16th April)
I have had a reply from Minister Carmel Sepuloni to a letter I wrote to her in early April seeking action on some cost pressures providers are facing as a result of the COVID19 pandemic and the lockdown measures in place.  The Minister’s reply is here in which she has responded positively to the matters I raised.

Government Updates

The Ministry of Health COVID-19 page is a great resource of information
Including information on basic health advice, industry specific advice, and Easy Read versions
THIS LINK will take you to the Ministry’s news and media updates.

THIS LINK  for Ministry of Social Development’s latest information

THIS LINK for Inland Revenue’s latest information.
Kaitakawaenga Māori is supporting our Māori Community. Kaitakawaenga Māori deliver Inland Revenue services in a whānau, hapū and iwi centric way to help ensure our Māori customers have the tools to self-manage their tax affairs. For more information click THIS LINK

And also-
* Community Awareness and Preparedness Grant Fund – $4.8 million 
* $27 million for NGOs and Community Groups providing essential services

Sir John Kirwan Makes Mental Health App Free

Mentemia, which means “my mind” in Italian (a language Kirwan speaks fluently), uses evidence-based research to tailor content to mental health needs, offering advice and training exercises like a virtual counsellor. It learns and responds to your preferences the more you use it, coaching you about how the mind has a tendency to create stress and anxiety, and the simple tools you can use to let them go.

To find out more or to download the app CLICK HERE