National Volunteer Week 18-24 June 2023 honours the collective energies and mana of all volunteers in Aotearoa. This year's theme is the Big Shout-out, encouraging everyone to give a shout-out to volunteers.
We would like to give a big shout-out to our partner, Habitat for Humanity. Every year, Habitat for Humanity makes a difference for thousands of New Zealanders living in sub-standard housing conditions. Habitat works with families to address their housing need by repairing and renovating homes. They also make home ownership a reality for many families through their Progressive Home Ownership programme.
We are celebrating two years of our partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and we have done some great things to support their cause.
Last year, we commissioned the Aotearoa Housing Survey and results showed that thousands of New Zealand families are experiencing unacceptable living conditions. The survey provided critical information to help Habitat understand the scale of the issues people are facing, so that they can strengthen their response and help more families enjoy better living conditions.
Habitat for Humanity has volunteering opportunities across the country, which has given our staff the opportunity to get involved in their local communities. So far, we have had over 170 staff members work over 1,000 volunteer hours! The volunteering opportunities include supporting the Habitat ReStore, working on a home build or home repair, supporting the curtain bank, packing winter warmers, or crafting wooden pallets in the pallet project.
Our Chief Executive, Amanda Whiting, along with her Leadership Team, recently spent a day volunteering. They painted a home in South Auckland that had recently been through Habitat's home restoration programme. Amanda says, "my favourite part about supporting Habitat for Humanity and their work is that I really think everyone deserves shelter and a comfortable home. That's what Habitat for Humanity are all about, they want to provide decent homes for people, and I think that's really important for everyone."
Habitat for Humanity's Group Chief Executive Officer, Alan Thorp, was also present with some of the Habitat staff and volunteers. He spoke about how the partnership with AMI can make a difference to Habitat's cause. "Partnerships like the one we have with AMI help us immensely. Habitat's mission is to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope and having a partnership with AMI is incredibly helpful because it raises the awareness of our cause - a world where everyone has a decent place to live." he said.
At AMI, we know that safe and stable homes help to build strong and healthy families, as well as more resilient communities. AMI supports Habitat's philosophy that everyone deserves a decent place to live. Our partnership aims to help Habitat get closer to their target of changing the lives of 75,000 New Zealanders living in sub-standard housing over the next three years.
Thank you, Habitat for Humanity, for all the work you do in the community. We would like to make sure this is recognised, especially during National Volunteer Week 2023!
There are so many ways to get involved with the work Habitat for Humanity do. This includes monetary and furniture donation, volunteering, or supporting your local ReStore shop. If you would like to find out more, click here.
