We’re having a slightly different Easter this year. In case you’ve been living under a rock (in which case, stay right where you are) you’ll know that about two weeks ago the Government put New Zealand under lockdown at home and closed all non-essential businesses because of the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the globe. This means that the usual Easter plans - going to the beach, seeing family and going to a place of worship - have gone out the window.
While Easter eggs might still be available from our supermarkets, there is certainly something different in the air that can bring you down a little. Maybe it is that every day elides into the next thing, and there isn’t the ‘treat’ of having an Easter holiday to look forward to. It is just another day, with added chocolate (which let’s be honest, is every day for me right now).
Despite the fact that most of us are hunkered down in our homes, there is some amazing work that Wellington businesses, local government, and central government are doing to show Poneke Kiwi’s that we’re okay. There are some brilliant organisations that are working extra hard to help make sure that frontline workers and kiwi kids are fed, help us find ways to support our local businesses (who are experiencing extraordinarily hard times right now) and celebrate Wellington from afar.
Here are three things I wanted you to be aware of, helping bring cheer, hope and the spirit of Easter to us all, over the long weekend.
1. Feeding New Zealand’s Hungry Kids: UNICEF #FoodForKiwiFamilies
Covid-19 is a large-scale global crisis, and its impact on children, especially poor and vulnerable children, is immense. It’s affecting all of us right now, and Kiwi families in our communities are struggling.
UNICEF NZ has never before launched an emergency campaign for Kiwi families. This is unprecedented. Evidence gathered from their work in Onehunga states that up to 20% of families are already struggling to put healthy food on the table. Families already under pressure before Covid-19 are now in a situation with parents losing their jobs. Unfortunately, even with government assistance this often means 80% of income goes on rent.
The campaign #FoodForKiwiFamilies is all about helping our neighbours. If you want to know more, you can take a look here.
UNICEF are partnering with the Salvation Army and Countdown to help provide urgent supplies to those families in need during the lockdown. Go to https://covid19.unicef.org.nz to fill a trolley for a fellow NZ whanau!
2. Thousands of Meals Delivered to Frontline Workers To Say Thank You: Fisher Funds x Jess’s Underground Kitchen
Thousands of nutritious meals from New Zealand-owned food company and essential service Jess’s Underground Kitchen are being donated to hospital care staff who have been working on the frontline amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initiative is being organised by KiwiSaver provider Fisher Funds who will arrange for frozen food packages to be delivered to the homes of nurses, health care assistants, orderlies, cleaners and ward clerks across the North Island to say thank you for their hard work as New Zealand comes into its third week of alert level 4 lockdown.
The first 1,000 hospital care staff to register will receive a care package of three ready-to-heat JUK meals, delivered by Freightways.
Fisher Funds Chief Investment Officer Frank Jasper says that while supermarkets are offering special privileges to emergency services and medical staff, many shift workers are still finding it difficult to get there or secure an online delivery window. “We wanted to do something to say thank you to those people who are doing a tremendous job - nurses and other hospital care staff are continuing to put themselves at risk by keeping hospitals running. We know it’s hard for nurses, health care assistants and ward clerks to juggle shift work with the lockdown restrictions and getting a nutritious meal so we’re making a small gesture to ease that pressure. By working with Jess, a small but formidable local business owner, we’re able to deliver food right to their door,” Jasper says. “This is one small gesture from us that will hopefully help lighten the load for a thousand people during this tough time. We’ve seen a few companies doing their bit to help in this crisis and we encourage more to do the same.”
Eligible frontline health workers will be able to apply for home delivery food packages from today via the website www.fisherfunds.co.nz/feedthefrontline
3. WellingtonNZ’s Helping You Find All The Wellington Things You Love and Supporting Local During Lockdown
One of the industries hit hardest by the current lockdown is the events and tourism sector. How do you market a city when our borders are closed? It takes a great deal of ingenuity to find a way to continue to remain relevant when there’s a global pandemic and provide useful information when you have no tourists.
Yesterday I checked out the revamped WellingtonNZ website and I was blown away by the creative content that's all been pivoted to be Covid-19 friendly. WellingtonNZ has re-focused its current campaign to ‘We Love Wellington’ and created a dedicated #LoveLocal Facebook group for people in our community to share ways that they’re supporting our local business during lockdown (I am a card-carrying, signed-up member)!
On their website, you’ll find useful pieces such as your daily guide to what’s on online in Wellington, a playlist of your most beloved Wellington musicians, the ability to virtually visit your favourite attractions, online exercise classes and so much more. It’s such a creative and eclectic montage of Wellington’s best bits and so wonderful to see our tourism council championing the creators who make this city so special. I especially love their shopping list as a guide on how to buy local from the supermarket if you want to support Wellington small businesses.
You’ll also find practical information like what business support our local enterprises can get through Covid-19 and how you can help in your local community right now. This website is a must-go-to if you are new to Wellington and want to study the city. I love how they’ve packaged everything up to be fun, positive and really joy-filled, celebrating the best of Wellington, and allowing the spirit of the city to permeate through your laptop. You can download a yellow heart from here to show your support for WE during Covid-19. This re-tzushed website represents an amazing feat from our local tourism body of pulling together during hard times.
BONUS: The PM’s Easter Bunny Hunt!
The PM Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that the Easter Bunny is an essential worker. Hurrah for that!
Ardern encouraged everyone who had been contributing to local teddy bear hunts to change their theme by drawing an easter egg on the window. "Create your own Easter hunt for the children in your neighbourhood." She also promised to share some of the designs on social media, asking for them to be emailed to primeminister@parliament.govt.nz, or shared on social media using the hashtag #NZEggHunt.
Also remember that if you do worship, you can find streaming services this Easter online, or on Freeview channels. A little more on that here.
Do you have any further tips on amazing Wellingtonians doing cool things this Easter to make things brighter?
Happy Easter Everyone! xxx