FROM: National Office Convenor

SUBJECT: National Office NZ Report March 2009

Greetings, Kia Ora koutou katoa hope this finds you all well.

Dear Members:
Your local Co-ordinators have asked that if there is a GRG group in your area could you please contact that person and give them your details, if you have not already done so. Then they will be able to let you know about meetings, local activities and local information. Please also tell them you are already a member of the GRG Trust. An updated list of our GRG Co’s is at the bottom of this newsletter. Due to the Privacy Act we can not pass on your details without your written permission and with 3900 or so members this would be an impossible task for the GRG Trust to do, not to mention the time or costs involved.

Trends we at GRG Trust are noticing.

The amount of grand’s getting new babies or young babies.
The amount of grand’s that have to get their grandchildren back to NZ, from Australian Social Services.
The increase in numbers of phone calls from grand’s/Agencies to National Office. 248 calls in February!
The increase in calls about ‘cutting’ see article in this newsletter.
The increase of GRG members joining us from all over the country: 55 new members in 3 weeks!

Your Voices:

That long Tunnel.
I am happy to tell you I am in full sunlight at the end of that long tunnel! My grandson has turned 19 and has moved to independence now. I am so proud of him. I would not be telling the truth if I said it was not hard, yes it has been very hard, but rewarding at the same time. I have laughed at your newsletters, cried along with some newsletters and found new ways in dealing with him over the years. He loves me so much as I do him. Stay strong people, you are just wonderful for being there for your Moko. Now I pray to live long enough to attend his wedding, when the time is right, perhaps at 35 or older!!!! J.

GRG Trust 10 years old: I remember, back then.
1. Di and team I knew the one person sitting there crying, it was a real time moment sister, and that memory will probably be with me until I pass on......And that one, actually knew the real world and listened and then acted. Congratulations

2. Thanks Di and congratulations on the successes and for the hard work and advocacy. Na Tariana

WELL DONE GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILREN........
HAPPY BIRTHDAY..... TEN YEARS OLD....AND AS STRONG AS THE NIGHT OF THE FIRST MEETING.....
You have achieved a great deal over these ten years throughout New Zealand, for your sector and may the next ten years prove to be as beneficial to them as it has to this community.
Diane, thank you for the belief that it can be done. That a group can perform the task ahead of it without the highly paid Manager –thank you.

So Proud:
Guess who is Deputy Head Girl, our grand-daughter Tanya; she is very pleased with herself as are we. Both girls took part in the Mayoral Bike Ride (for Bike wise week) and both have entered the Weetbix Triathlon next month.

SPAN class=h2>Dear Cat
No, it is not a good idea to drag dead rats through the female teenager’s (grand-daughter) bedroom window, across her bed then fling it down the stairwell whilst meowing loudly and leaping at it at 4 am in the morning. This is not a good wake up time for the whole family!!!. Teenagers get a little hysterical about those things, you know. As we now know………Granny

From A Great Grandmother:
Kia Ora I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy getting your news letter. It makes me feel that I am not alone in raising my great grand children.3 boys: 13years 12 years 5years. I am 68 years and sometimes it is hard going and I feel tired but the reward of doing it is the children are safe and secure. Especially when they tell me you are the best nanny in the world. They do have another brother of 3 years but I could not look after him and he is being bought up by extended family. I see him every day, where else of course Barnados, It is wonderful having them here in Kaikoura. As we are far away from the main towns I never get to any of the support meetings. I have had the eldest boy now for 8 years and one by one the other boys were taken into care. Just to let you know I feel in touch with your news letter. Regards from Robyn

Memories:
Grand-daughter aged 15 was looking for an eraser (rubber) none could be found in the home, she was going into melt down. I suggested she took a ball of white bread and used that. “Rubbish it will not work” she said. Her next comments made me laugh, “Wow Nan it really works, how fantastic is that”

From a school Principal:
Your organisation’s handbook has been very popular in our community. Thank you. Kenakena School.

Kia ora GRG:
Thanks for the notification of "Raising the Moko" programme. My moko is now 18 tall beautiful and survived the last 10 years without his Mum who died of breast cancer @ 27.

He is doing a sports and fitness course at Te Whare Wananga o Aotearoa and working in the evenings at the Queen Elizabeth recreation Centre here in Tauranga setting up sports equipment and typing spreadsheets for the Centre.

His goal is to be a Tall Black for NZ Basketball and he is going the right way about it.

Just a note to say thank you to GRG, and all of you wonderful people who have helped us as grandparents to survive along with our grand children.

Noho ora mai. Ruahine and Walter Dickson

Hamilton Members:
Commencing on March 26th, then 30th April: meetings in Hamilton will be on the last Thursday of the month 12-45 pm to 2-30 pm at 148a Bankwood Road Chartwell Hamilton: Children Welcome. Contact Lynn 855-7280.

Dargaville Members:
The next meeting of the GRG Support Group will be 10am Monday 6th of April 2009, at The Early Years Hub (Plunket Rooms) Hokianga Road, Dargaville. Phone Barbara on 09 439 4555. Bethne Smith: from Strengthening Families will be our guest speaker.

Whangarei Members:
Meeting time for April 2009: - 11am at McDonalds, Bank Street, Whangarei, 6th April. We will meet on the first Monday of the month except during school holidays.

Raising the Moko: Maori TV Documentary:
You will remember some time ago we called for our members who wished to take part in this series. Well 3 GRG families were chosen; this now goes to air on March 25th Wednesday Maori TV at 8.30pm. Channel 7 on regular TV.

SPAN class=h2>Media release:
Screening: Wednesday March 25 at 8.30pm on Maori TV: Sky Channel 19. Channel 7 on regular TV.
A moving portrayal of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren: the joys, the heartaches, the sacrifices and the enrichment.
Raising the first grandchild is a tradition among Maori, but over the years it has developed into an unrecognised and under-funded struggle for many grandparents raising their grandchildren.
Raising the Moko is an unflinching insight into the lives of grandparents raising their mokopuna under a wide variety of circumstances.
There are over 10,000 grandchildren in New Zealand currently being raised by their grandparents. It is a growing trend for both Maori and Pakeha, but is particularly prevalent among Maori who have traditionally utilised the extended whanau in the raising of their children.
Bringing up the first moko is a traditional rite of passage for Maori grandparents. It’s a chance for the child to be steeped in their culture, traditions, reo, tikanga and whakapapa. But times have changed. Bringing up kids is not an easy job; It’s expensive and physically and emotionally tiring.
We hear a lot about people who can’t handle their children in the media. We hear a lot about drugs and violence and prison. But what we don’t hear about are the children who are left behind. Where do they go? If they survive they go into state care. They are cared and paid for by the state. But many are actually going to the safe havens of their grandparents who love them dearly, but struggle to care for them with little financial help.
Raising the Moko is an insight into the lives of four whanau, the Hape’s the Winiata’s the Te Hiwi’s and the Potaka Dews, through their diverse stories we provide our audience with a window into the reality of raising your kid’s children: the joys and the pains, the financial hardships and the struggle to get state recognition for their role in their moko’s life.
The documentary takes a look at the growth of the trend, the often harrowing circumstances that leads to grandparents becoming second time parents (death, drug addiction, prison are all common factors) and the outcomes; for both grandparents and their moko.
The stories of how these whanau have been formed, how the children are being raised and the impact it has had on both the grandparents and their moko informs this heart rending documentary that weaves together the lives of four whanau in a compelling and emotional look at a societal phenomenon.
Directed by Kathleen Mantel – whose directing credits include Leaving the Exclusive Brethren, Crowded House (a growing number of adult children still live with their parents) and KIDS (the Story of teenage pregnancy) Raising the Moko is an emotive look at an issue affecting an increasing number of New Zealanders.
3 of these families are GRG members J Conference Update Mark your diaries NOW!

28-29 October 2009, Ellerslie Convention Centre, Auckland
A Grandparent’s Love: For our children, for our future!
For many grandparents, the role of raising grandchildren today is not just a labour of love; it is a tough journey that physically and emotionally forces them to experience the daily challenge of meeting the needs and demands of some of our most vulnerable children. Children that have been abused traumatised and neglected in their most formative stages in life.
Our society and our laws expect families to step in to care for children in the wider family group; yet caring for these children is not the same as parenting children with normal parent-child attachments. What happens to children when the normally adjusted parent-child attachment bond is disrupted or damaged? How can we better understand what the children are experiencing and feeling and what can grandparents do to better support their grandchildren emotionally? Practically speaking, how can we get them to do as they are told?
The answers to these questions are the key to a sane existence for many of our members and why we are delighted to have as one of our keynote presenters on our conference programme; the experience and expertise of Diane Levy, a leading child psychologist and author to present practical and interactive sessions on parenting children in this context.
We are also delighted to confirm that the Honourable Paula Bennett, Minister for Social Development and Youth Affairs will present a keynote address to open the conference on 28 October 2009. The questions we have for her are: what are the Government’s policies that will provide better support for the role that grandparent’s play in caring for grandchildren as primary caregivers, and what progress is the Government making towards bringing New Zealand’s laws into line with the state’s obligations under the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child?
Jill Worrall, Honorary Research Associate at the School of Social and Cultural Studies at Massey University in Auckland (and Trustee of GRG Trust) will also present the findings of the recent survey of our members, as an update to the 2004 research study. What has changed? Are our grandparent members in a better or worse position as a result of changes in policy and the laws since then?
The conference programme is evolving with informative, practical and interesting sessions covering a diverse range of issues that directly affect grandparents raising their grandchildren today. It is shaping up to be an exciting and entertaining two days with plenty of opportunity for gaining insights and understanding that will make your life as a grandparent or professional easier. You will also meet other members in your situation along with professionals working in the fields of law, psychology, social work and government policy.
Mark your diaries now and stay tuned for further updates as the conference programme and accommodation details become finalised over the next three months. If you have a great idea for inclusion in the conference programme please feel free to email us at office@grg.org.nz. Opportunities also exist for organisations to sponsor or exhibit at this event. Please call the Trust Secretariat on 09 419 0042 or email us at the address above address.

PlunketLine now 24/7: Free phone 0800 933 922return to top

PlunketLine is now a 24/7 operation helping New Zealand parents and children, the Health Minister Tony Ryall confirmed today.

The parent information review could extend support services to include e-mail and online information and chatrooms.

Out of School Holiday Care and Recreation (OSCAR)
Families can apply for an OSCAR Subsidy from Work and Income. The subsidy is means tested and your child needs to be attending a service for more than three hours a week which has OSCAR approval. You may get an OSCAR Subsidy if you:
• are the main caregiver of a dependent child
• don’t have a partner who can provide childcare
• are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
It helps with the costs of before and after-school programmes for up to 20 hours a week, and school holiday programmes of up to 50 hours a week. The child or young person must be:
• aged five to 13 years old (or up to 18 years if you get a Child Disability Allowance for them)
For more information about subsidy call: Working for Families contact centre on 0800 774 004 or to find an OSCAR Programme: www.oscar.org.nz Free phone 0800 GO OSCAR.¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬

GRG Get Parity with Foster Care Basic Rate!
After 10 years of Lobbying from the GRG Trust and our members finally we see the fruits of our hard work. The job is not finished yet though, we still need to address the add-on’s that Foster Care get, but this is a huge accomplishment. Pretty outstanding really, and somehow appropriate in our 10th anniversary.return to top

Care Supplement & Unsupported Child Allowance.

You will be getting or may have already received a letter if you are in receipt of the Care Supplement. Do not panic, they are not taking it away from you. In your case it will be added in to your UCB and come as one payment, equaling the basic Foster Care rate.
For those of you who were not able to access this (now obsolete) CS you will be getting an increase in your UCB to the basic Foster Care rate on April 1st. Please remember they pay in arrears, this will rectify itself.
The Ministers office phoned to say that their website will now be corrected to say 'all children' not just the 10-13 age group will be getting the UCB increase.
New rates: 1St April 09.
Benefit type Weekly rate,
non taxable
Disability Allowance
Standard Disability Allowance (maximum) $55.88
Special Disability Allowance $34.87
Child Disability Allowance $42.11
Orphans Benefit or Unsupported Childs Benefit
Aged under 5 years $132.32
Aged 5 to 9 years $153.55
Aged 10 to 13 years $169.45
Aged 14 years or over $185.25

Examples of other increases in the after tax weekly rates are:
For a couple both qualified to receive NZ Super or a War Pension up $7.82 to $230.19.
For a single person living alone getting NZ Super up $13.16 to $310.95.
For a single unemployed person aged over 25 years, receiving the Unemployment Benefit, up $6.22 to $190.39
For a married couple receiving the Unemployment Benefit with no children, up $10.38 to $317.30
For a single student aged 18 to 23 years studying away from home receiving a Student Allowance, up $5.19 to a maximum of $158.65
For a single person over 18 receiving the Invalid’s Benefit, up $7.78 to $237.97
For a sole parent with one child, receiving the Domestic Purposes Benefit, up $8.92 to $272.70
What are the requirements for getting the UCB or Orphans benefit?
Unsupported Child Allowance & Orphans Benefit:
If you're looking after someone else's child we may be able to help you with living, health, housing and childcare costs.
Unsupported Child's Benefit
Assistance if you're a carer supporting a child or young person whose parents can't care for them because of a family breakdown. Non taxable and you must be expecting to be caring for 12 months or more.
Orphan's Benefit
Assistance if you're a carer supporting a child or young person whose parents have either died: can't be found: or can't look after them because they have a long-term illness or incapacity. Non taxable.
Phone Work & Income 0800 559 009 Free phone.return to top

Cutting
(Not a pleasant subject but something we must be aware of) we are repeating this January 08 article again due to an increase in calls about this.

Emma's mum first noticed the cuts when Emma was doing the dishes one night. Emma told her mum that their cat had scratched her. Her mum seemed surprised that the cat had been so rough, but she didn't think much more about it.
Emma's friends had noticed something strange as well. Even when the weather was hot, Emma wore long-sleeved shirts. She had become secretive, too, like something was bothering her. But Emma couldn't seem to find the words to tell her mum or her friends that the marks on her arms were from something that she had done. She was cutting herself with a razor when she felt sad or upset.

What Is Cutting?
Injuring yourself on purpose by making scratches or cuts on your body with a sharp object — enough to break the skin and make it bleed — is called cutting. Cutting is a type of self-injury, or SI. Most people who cut are girls, but guys self-injure, too. People who cut usually start cutting in their young teens. Some continue to cut into adulthood.
People may cut themselves on their wrists, arms, legs, or bellies. Some people self-injure by burning their skin with the end of a cigarette or lighted match.
When cuts or burns heal, they often leave scars or marks. People who injure themselves usually hide the cuts and marks and sometimes no one else knows.

Why Do People Cut Themselves?
It can be hard to understand why people cut themselves on purpose. Cutting is a way some people try to cope with the pain of strong emotions, intense pressure, or upsetting relationship problems. They may be dealing with feelings that seem too difficult to bear, or bad situations they think can't change.
Some people cut because they feel desperate for relief from bad feelings. People who cut may not know better ways to get relief from emotional pain or pressure. Some people cut to express strong feelings of rage, sorrow, rejection, desperation, longing, or emptiness.

There are other ways to cope with difficulties, even big problems and terrible emotional pain. The help of a mental health professional might be needed for major life troubles or overwhelming emotions.
For other tough situations or strong emotions, it can help put things in perspective to talk problems over with parents, other adults, or friends. Getting plenty of exercise can also help put problems in perspective and help balance emotions.
But people who cut may not have developed ways to cope. Or their coping skills may be overpowered by emotions that are too intense. When emotions don't get expressed in a healthy way, tension can build up — sometimes to a point where it seems almost unbearable. Cutting may be an attempt to relieve that extreme tension. For some, it seems like a way of feeling in control.

The urge to cut might be triggered by strong feelings the person can't express — such as anger, hurt, shame, frustration, or alienation. People who cut sometimes say they feel they don't fit in or that no one understands them. A person might cut because of losing someone close or to escape a sense of emptiness. Cutting might seem like the only way to find relief or express personal pain over relationships or rejection.

People who cut or self-injure sometimes have other mental health problems that contribute to their emotional tension. Cutting is sometimes (but not always) associated with depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, obsessive thinking, or compulsive behaviours. It can also be a sign of mental health problems that cause people to have trouble controlling their impulses or to take unnecessary risks. Some people who cut themselves have problems with drug or alcohol abuse.

Some people who cut have had a traumatic experience, such as living through abuse, violence, or a disaster. Self-injury may feel like a way of "waking up" from a sense of numbness after a traumatic experience. Or it may be a way of reinflicting the pain they went through, expressing anger over it, or trying to get control of it.

What Can Happen to People Who Cut?
Although cutting may provide some temporary relief from a terrible feeling, even people who cut agree that it isn't a good way to get that relief. For one thing, the relief doesn't last. The troubles that triggered the cutting remain — they're just masked over.

People don't usually intend to hurt themselves permanently when they cut. And they don't usually mean to keep cutting once they start. But both can happen. It's possible to misjudge the depth of a cut, making it so deep that it requires stitches (or, in extreme cases, hospitalisation). Cuts can become infected if a person uses non sterile or dirty cutting instruments — razors, scissors, pins, or even the sharp edge of the tab on a can of soda.
Most people who cut aren't attempting suicide. Cutting is usually a person's attempt at feeling better, not ending it all. Although some people who cut do attempt suicide, it's usually because of the emotional problems and pain that lie behind their desire to self-harm, not the cutting itself.

Cutting can be habit forming. It can become a compulsive behaviour — meaning that the more a person does it, the more he or she feels the need to do it. The brain starts to connect the false sense of relief from bad feelings to the act of cutting, and it craves this relief the next time tension builds. When cutting becomes a compulsive behaviour, it can seem impossible to stop. So cutting can seem almost like an addiction, where the urge to cut can seem too hard to resist. A behaviour that starts as an attempt to feel more in control can end up controlling you.

How Does Cutting Start?
Cutting often begins on an impulse. It's not something the person thinks about ahead of time. Shauna says, "It starts when something's really upsetting and you don't know how to talk about it or what to do. But you can't get your mind off feeling upset, and your body has this knot of emotional pain. Before you know it, you're cutting yourself. And then somehow, you're in another place. Then, the next time you feel awful about something, you try it again — and slowly it becomes a habit."

Natalie, a high-school junior who started cutting in middle school, explains that it was a way to distract herself from feelings of rejection and helplessness she felt she couldn't bear. "I never looked at it as anything that bad at first — just my way of getting my mind off something I felt really awful about. I guess part of me must have known it was a bad thing to do, though, because I always hid it. Once a friend asked me if I was cutting myself and I even lied and said 'no.' I was embarrassed."

Sometimes self-injury affects a person's body image. Jen says, "I actually liked how the cuts looked. I felt kind of bad when they started to heal — and so I would 'freshen them up' by cutting again. Now I can see how crazy that sounds, but at the time, it seemed perfectly reasonable to me. I was all about those cuts — like they were something about me that only I knew. They were like my own way of controlling things. I don't cut myself anymore, but now I have to deal with the scars."

You can't force someone who self-injures to stop. It doesn't help to get mad at a friend who cuts, reject that person, lecture her, or beg him to stop. Instead, let your friend know that you care, that he or she deserves to be healthy and happy, and that no one needs to bear their troubles alone.

Cutting — A Way to Be Cool?
Girls and guys who self-injure are often dealing with some heavy troubles. Many work hard to overcome difficult problems. So they find it hard to believe that there are some teens who cut just because they think it's a way to seem tough and rebellious.
Tia tried cutting because a couple of the girls at her school were doing it. They pressured her. "It seemed like if I didn't do it, they would think I was afraid or something. So I did it once. But when I walked away, I thought about how lame it was to do something like that to myself for no good reason. Next time they asked I just said, 'no, thanks — it's not for me.' "
If you have a friend who suggests you try cutting, say what you think. Why get pulled into something you know isn't good for you? There are plenty of other ways to express who you are. (Not giving in to peer pressure is one of them!)
Lindsay had been cutting herself for 3 years because of abuse she suffered as a child. She's 16 now and hasn't cut herself in more than a year. "I feel proud of that," Lindsay says. "So when I hear girls talk about it like it's a fad, it really gets to me."

Getting Help
There are better ways to deal with troubles than cutting — healthier, long-lasting ways that don't leave a person with emotional and physical scars. The first step is to get help with the troubles that led to the cutting in the first place. Here are some ideas for doing that:
Tell someone. People who have stopped cutting often say the first step is the hardest — admitting to or talking about cutting. But they also say that after they open up about it, they often feel a great sense of relief. Choose someone you trust to talk to at first (a parent, school counselor, teacher, coach, doctor, or nurse). If it's too difficult to bring up the topic in person, write a note. Identify the trouble that's triggering the cutting. Cutting is a way of reacting to emotional tension or pain. Try to figure out what feelings or situations are causing you to cut. Is it anger? Pressure to be perfect? Relationship trouble? A painful loss or trauma? Mean criticism or mistreatment? Identify the trouble you're having, then tell someone about it. Many people have trouble figuring this part out on their own. This is where a mental health professional can be helpful.

Ask for help.
Tell someone that you want help dealing with your troubles and the cutting. If the person you ask doesn't help you get the assistance you need, ask someone else. Sometimes adults try to downplay the problems teens have or think they're just a phase. If you get the feeling this is happening to you, find another adult (such as a school counselor or nurse) who can make your case for you.
Work on it. Most people with deep emotional pain or distress need to work with a counselor or mental health professional to sort through strong feelings, heal past hurts, and to learn better ways to cope with life's stresses. One way to find a therapist or counselor is to ask at your doctor's office, at school, or at a mental health clinic in your community.
Although cutting can be a difficult pattern to break, it is possible. Getting professional help to overcome the problem doesn't mean that a person is weak or crazy. Therapists and counsellors are trained to help people discover inner strengths that help them heal. These inner strengths can then be used to cope with life's other problems in a healthy way. Reviewed by: D'Arcy Lyness, PhD
Some cut in their inner thigh, buttocks, or areas not easily seen. They will use a craft knife, broken glass, sharp needles. Keep a look out for pencil sharpener with the blades missing; these tiny blades are easy to hide. Also another tell-tale sign is finding broken razor blade cartridges.

oooo0000ooooo return to top

NEW ZEALAND FEDERATION OF FAMILY BUDGETING SERVICES INC
TTE ROPU PENAPENA PUTEA WHANAU O AOTEAROA

Need Budgeting Advice? Phone free phone 0508 BUDGET LINE or 0508 283 438 and talk to a budget line advisor
LINE (0508 283 438)

Parents Inc Tip:
Give your children a ‘heads up’ on how to make and keep good friends. Does your child know that being friendly, smiling, having good manners, making another person feel important and asking questions all help build friendship? And does your child know that showing off, criticizing and complaining, expecting too much and holding grudges all help to end friendships?
Often children are angry because they can’t have what they want: a treat, a cuddle, or something they wanted to do. Other times, it can because the parents seem too distant and they feel abandoned. Of course, affection makes a child feel loved, but so, too, do guidelines, rules and limits. Remind your child that he is loved and cared for and that he matters to you.
We remember our children’s birthdays and celebrate them, but often the decision to have other special, one-on-one times just gets overlooked. Here’s a tip: circle your child’s birth date on every month of the calendar, e.g. if his birthday is on the 17th of a particular month, circle the 17th on every month throughout the year. That will be the day each month you plan to do something with that child. Keep it small and achievable. Make up a list of simple activities you could do: a swim, a cycle, a hot chocolate, a breakfast together or a game of cards. return to top

The Good Grandpa
A woman is in a grocery store and happens upon a grandpa and his poorly behaving 3 year-old grandson at every turn. Its obvious Gramps has his hands full with the kid screaming for candy in the candy aisle, cookies in the cookie aisle; same for fruit, cereal and soda. Meanwhile, Gramps is working his way around, saying in a controlled voice, 'Easy, Albert, we won't be long -- easy, boy.
Another outburst, and she hears Gramps calmly say, 'It's okay, Albert, just a couple more minutes and we'll be outta here -- hang in there.'
At the checkout, the little terror is throwing items out of the cart, and Gramps again in a controlled voice is saying, 'Albert, Albert, relax buddy, don't get upset. We'll be home in five minutes; stay cool, Albert.'
Very impressed, the woman goes outside where Gramps is loading his groceries and the boy into the car. 'You know, sir, it's none of my business, but you were amazing in there. I don't know how you did it. That whole time, you kept your composure, and no matter how loud and disruptive he got, you just calmly kept saying things would be okay. Albert is very lucky to have you for his grandpa.'
'Thanks, lady,' said Gramps, 'But you see I'm Albert – his name is Stevie.'
Perhaps we all need to become Albert’s!
Di
National Convenor and the team.
heoi ano, na

E te Atua, aroha mai..... O God shower us with love return to top
Ka kite

Updated GRG Coordinator’s List
Locality Name Phone E-mail Address
Ashburton ** Helen Byron 03 3037253 helenbyron@clear.net.nz
Auckland – Penrose** Teresa Baker
09 579 3128 Krystal3@woosh.co.nz
Auckland – East ** Tess Gould-Thorpe 09 535 6903 petage@ww.co.nzAuckland – North ** Bonnie Williams 09 473 9055 willingclan@xtra.co.nz
Auckland – South ** Virginia Peebles 09 256 1620
Auckland – West ** Debbie Hall 09 818 7828 debron@xtra.co.nzCanterbury – North ** Jan Farquhar 03 3136487 farlaw@xtra.co.nzDannevirke * Denise Henman 06-374 5855 denise.henman@xtra.co.nz
Dargaville ** Barbara Sterling 09 439 4555 barbara@riversideprint@ihug.co.nz
Dunedin ** Nanette McKendry 03 4738105 m.mckendry@xtra.co.nzWaihi/Kati Kati ** Lynn Young 07) 5495550 lynn-young@slingshot,co.nz.Geraldine ** Trisha Reader 03 6939558 trisha.r@xtra.co.nz
Gore * Jennifer Miller 0800 472637
Hamilton – North ** Lynn Falconer 07 855 7280 lafynn@xtra.co.nz
Helensville * Maree Hemana 09 8365133 mhemana@clear.net.nz
Hokitika * Fran Edwards 03 755 8142
Huntly ** Lodi Liebert 07 8286123 rulo@clear.net.nz Invercargill *

Christine Marsh 03 2169773 chrisandBob@kol.co.nz

Kaikohe ** Wai Kaihe 09 401 1002
Kaitaia * Irene Turner-Crombie 09 408 3446 iturnercrombie@hotmail.com
Kapiti Coast ** David Johnsen 04 9022562 djohnsen@paradise.net.nz
Levin * Colleen Smith 06 3686333 colleenpene@yahoo.com.au
Napier ** Nola Adams 06 845 3141 laceforme@hotmail.comNelson ** Mrs Paula Eggers 03 544 5714 paulaeggers2000@yahoo.com.au
New Plymouth* Kathryn Kanara 06 757 9200 kathrynkanara@slingshot.co.nz
Oamaru * Dianne Kinsella 03 437 0414 diannekinsella@e3.net.nz
Otago * Aad & Leonie 03 465 1764 omaandopa@xtra.co.nz
Palmerston North * Tammy Tuakimoana lscribe@quicksilver.net.nz
Raglan ** Diane Cooper 07 852 8147 r_ch@xtra.co.nz
Rotorua * Cyril Anderson 07 347 8163 judycyril@xtra.co.nz
Stratford * Sue Stannard 06 765 5338 Taumarunui * Rangimahora Mahu 07 8956626
Taupo ** Carol Martin 07 376 8222 ttcadmin@xtra.co.nz
Tauranga ** Colleen Ross 07 578 5341 ROSSGE39@xtra.co.nz
Te Awamutu **

Rangitaia Crowley 07 8713781 CrowleyR@waikatodhb.govt.nz
Te Kauwhata **
Jennie Gore 07 826 4303 tk.disc@xtra.co.nzTe Kuiti ** Leonie Tirrell 07 878 3220
Thames * Tricia Barker 07 868 5490 tricia.barker@xtra.co.nz
Upper Hutt ** Margaret Pearson 04 976 9475 maggiemagpie@paradise.net.nz
Upper Hutt ** Barbara Jeffries 04 526 4318

Wairarapa ** Wendy Archer 06 377 2236 marcher@paradise.net.nz
Wanganui ** Lynette Dickinson
06 344 2830 lynette.deedee@gmail.com

Wellington – Central ** Sally Kabak 04 499 4708 Gparentswgtn@cs.com
Wellington – North ** Cecilee Donovan 04 477 0632
Whakatane * Shirley Faulkner 07 322 8524 shirleyfaulkner@xtra.co.nz
Whangamata * Sue McGregor 07 865 6321
Whangarei ** Janet Puriri 09 435 0044 jpuriri@ihug.co.nz
* Telephone support only: ** Telephone Support & Meetings March 2009

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Posted: Sun 01 Mar 2009

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