We were recently visited by Mike and Rose, who share a very special connection with Home & Family. Mike told us the story of his father, Bill (pictured), whose life was changed by our organisation more than 100 years ago.
Having lost both parents before the age of five, Bill and an older brother were in the care of their stepmother. To make ends meet she ran a boarding house in Cranmer Square. To maximise beds for boarders, the boys were required to sleep “top to tail” on a singular stretcher bed in a woodshed with a leaking roof, no heating or toilet facilities. The hardship and other cruelties these young boys endured is beyond belief.
A lodger eventually reported their situation, and the Society for the Protection of Women and Children (now Home & Family) stepped in. Bill and his brother were reunited with an aunt who raised them, supported their education, and helped them build a healthy future.
Mike says his father never forgot that support and often remarked that he would not be alive today without it.
Today, Mike and Rose continue that legacy of care. Each year, they visit us to drop off handmade knits to help whānau keep their tamariki warm through the winter months. We are grateful to Mike and Rose for sharing their story, and for showing how compassionate care can create positive impacts for tamariki and whānau for generations to come.
Find out more about Home & Family and how to donate through our website (www.homeandfamily.net.nz)
