Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck NZ in early 2020, a number of key leaders from local Laingholm based community organisations met to discuss how we could link together to form a support network during the crisis. This included Graeme Booth (Laingholm Fire Brigade – Local Fire Chief), Martyn Weatherill (Laingholm Primary School Principal), Simon Radford (Laingholm Baptist Church Pastor), and Steven Price (Neighbourhood Support Area Contact). What started as a local Laingholm based initiative expanded to reach people in the wider West Auckland area with much needed help & support.

Some of the things we have been doing

• Community Support Waitakere registered as a charity in 2021
• Received funding from a small number of generous personal donors
• Received funding from The Trusts and MSD
• Cooperated with other West Auckland food banks
• Coordinated a number of amazing volunteer drivers
• Provided free food parcels delivers to over 1,500 households
• Conducted Free Online Money Management & Budgeting Courses
• Provided phone counselling and referrals services
• Supported mentally unwell homeless individual with free accommodation & food
• Mentoring and supporting individual struggling with Asperger’s Syndrome
• Provided thousands of adult and kids N95/KN95 masks
• Provided free N95 masks to The Warehouse, Fresh Choice, Countdown, New World & Pak N Save Supermarket Staff
• Provided free N95 masks to Countdown Favona & Wiri distribution centre workers
• Distributed Free Rapid Antigen Test kits
• Became a Skinny Partner distributing 4G broadband modems for broadband internet
• Facilitated Swimming lessons from a qualified swimming teacher for children
• Providing food & equipment for flood victims in West Auckland & Hawkes Bay
• Many hours of free IT support work for churches, charities, & other computer challenged individuals
• Better preparing & resourcing local people against emergencies & hazard events