While 2022 saw us all resume a ‘post pandemic’ life, it has also been a year of turmoil and disruption on a global level which has had, and will continue to have, effects for all of us locally.
The rise in the cost of living, felt more acutely among the population in the lower socio-economic realm, is front and centre in most of the conversations in the media and among the general public.
When life can be a bit of a struggle, Catholic Social Services provides much needed support to struggling families and individuals. All the while reflecting the Gospel and the social teachings of the Catholic Church, we provide group courses for adults and children, covering topics such as grief and loss, conflict resolution, emotional awareness, and anxiety and trauma, to name a few. Coupled with our very busy food bank, we also provide counseling for adults, teens, children, families, and couples, making 2022
very busy indeed.
Very recently, our new psychologist started working in our greater Christchurch diocesan schools, meeting the needs of the tamariki and rangatahi, and in 2023, we will be reaching further into our schools and parishes to get a better understanding of needs. We are very much looking forward to that korero.
The sad fact is that the needs in the community are constantly increasing. That said, as with every year, funding is the only hurdle we face in our wish to serve the community. We are extremely grateful for all the support received and we hope it will increase proportionally with the demand, and help us address all requests in a meaningful and timely manner.
We wish you all a peaceful Christmas, happiness and spiritual fulfillment for the year ahead, and we look forward to helping address the needs of the community in the new year.
Luis Arevalo
Catholic Social Services Manager
Christchurch Diocese