Yesterday was our inaugural Christmas Aroha Baskets day for Te Whai Community Trust Mangawhai. Every year tops the last with more people, organisations and businesses getting involved. There is seriously so many people to thank for what was an incredible day of sharing and working together to help provide for families and seniors who might otherwise receive very little. The baskets also provide a way to connect, and to let our locals know that they are not alone.
The whole community came together for this! So firstly we’d love to thank every single one of you that donated a gift for our baskets. Such thoughtful acts of kindness makes this all the more worthwhile doing. And those that collected for us, and added extra treats from your organisations… how special are you?! Then there was the coming together of organisations that collected goods ALL YEAR for this event. All this collecting, culminated in the giving of 84 Christmas Aroha Baskets in one day.
Over 80 beautifully woven harakeke baskets were made over 2 - 3 months by a team led by Rosanne Davies - bless you all for your time and energy. These baskets were a gift in themselves that everyone loved.
St Mary's Catholic Church Mangawhai, thank you so much for provided funds, food, gifts, Christmas cakes, recipe books, along with morning tea and volunteers on the day. Special mention to John Brockliss for your participation and help with coordination.
Happy Chicks donated 80, yes 80 cartons of beautiful eggs!! Wowzers right?! So lovely to connect with you, thank you for this most awesome donation.
Thank you to our Te Whai Sage volunteers for their continued merry presence and participation on the day. Arohanui!
Four Square Mangawhai Heads stepped up when we needed topping up of extra food, thank you so much for your continued support!
Christ the King Anglican Church - we picked up so many good from you over these last few weeks - thank yoU!
Trish and the Mangawhai Breakaways (formerly Mangawhai Women’s Institute) we’re so glad to have connected with you and look forward to doing more with you in the future.
All the collection points – Miniwhais, Kākāriki - Health & Wellbeing, Tomarata School, Mangawhai Beach School, @MangawhaiKindergarten, Mangawhai Museum, BeforeSix Childcare Mangawhai, Mangawhai Vitality Centre, Four Square Mangawhai Heads, St John Village Op Shop, Mangawhai Opportunity Factory - ngā mihi nui ki a koutou!
Michelle and Paul from Confident Care NZ for letting us take over their warehouse to store food and baskets for weeks, and then along with Mangawhai Upholstery and Blinds, we used their 3 warehouses on Monday to coordinate on the day! He mihi maioha ki a koutou.
KUR (Kindness Under the Radar) we thank you dearly for your valued participation.
Blythe Creations who gifted Christmas Baubles to our Sages. How thoughtful of you, your gifts were treasured.
Everyone that delivered on the day to those that couldn’t collect including Te Ha Oranga, Mary-Anne Boyd, Sue Stevenson, Mangawhai Community Constable Rob, and many more.
Particular mention goes to Allene Gibson who used her extraordinary gymnastics skills climbing over tables to sort the many outgoing baskets 
And lastly he mihi nui to the Te Whai Trustees for having incredible vision, passion and clarity for the needs of our community. Arohanui Sue Poynter, Donna Flavell, Michelle Dawn Jago, Julie Wintle, Lyn Johnson and Helen Price.
We all know it takes a village but this year has highlighted the resilience and compassion by the whole community coming together for this event.
So from us, we wish you a Meri Kirihimete - it’s time to enjoy our whānau time, we can’t wait to see what next year brings - Arohanui.
Kiri Eriwata
Projects Manager
