The lives of eight Tairāwhiti families with newborns have been made a little warmer thanks to Whānau Āwhina Plunket and forestry company, Ernslaw One.

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Plunket Nurse, Lilian Jackson, has seen many families struggle through winter to stay warm and says some have no source of heating in their home or have only a fireplace.

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“We identified the most in need and focused on families with newborns or sick children,” says Lilian.  “Cold, damp, crowded homes can increase the risk of respiratory issues and other preventable health conditions such as rheumatic fever and skin infections.  Warm dry homes improve the health outcomes for our babies.”

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Ernslaw One’s donation allowed for eight households, one in Tolaga Bay and seven in Gisborne, to receive two cords of wood each which will last them through the winter months.

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“I can’t tell you what it means to these families to be warm,” says Lilian.  “To have a home that warms a whole whanau and not just a jersey to warm one child, is huge. You can’t underestimate the value and the change this firewood has made to these families’ lives.  We are incredibly grateful to Ernslaw.”

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ErnslawOne’s Business Relationship Manager, Bill Wheeler, says the donation made to Plunket is a starting point and the company is committed to doing more.

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“Given the immediate need for dry wood we thought the best thing to do was to provide the funds to Plunket and put them in touch with a local firewood merchant, LVB Contracting, to get the wood where it was needed quickly,” says Bill.

“We are now looking at a number of different options to provide support to the community where it is needed,” continues Bill.  

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Photo caption - Left to right:

Di Hu, Logistics Analyst at Ernslaw, Jelaire Poi and Mona Bradley (both Kaiāwhina) and Lilian Jackson of Whānau Āwhina Plunket, stock up the woodshed with the help of Winiata Blane, Forester at Ernslaw, before distribution to Tairāwhiti families.

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