Community Development
The Community Development team within the City Mission helps and supports Christchurch people in their own communities through a variety of projects.
We believe in strong communities, therefore we employ, manage and support community development workers, social workers, and partnership community health workers alongside a large group of volunteers.
By partnering with communities through local organisations, our workers help identify the individual voice and aspirations of each community.
This is a big complicated operation with a big heart and all the staff and volunteers believe in their mission of empowering, connecting and strengthening communities to ensure the social health of each local community.
In addition, Community Development looks for ways to harness the strengths of people within these communities who might be struggling with such problems as social isolation, loneliness, poor self-esteem, unemployment, poverty, mental ill health, family breakdown, inadequate housing and “at risk youth”. We do this to break the poverty mind-set and help give life meaning.
Our community projects and initiatives include:
Manuka Cottage at Addington
126 On The Corner at Hei Hei Broomfield
Linwood Resource Centre, Men’s Shed and Community Garden
Sydenham Community Development Project
Seasons For Growth courses on understanding grief
Foot Clinics at various venues across East Christchurch
Tautoko Hauora – health navigation and linkage service