Te Puke Community Response team working hard to meet needs

Western Bay of Plenty councillor Monique Lints and Te Puke Community Board chairman Richard Crawford, who are both members of the Te Puke Community Response team. Photo / File

The Te Puke Community Response team is aiming to help connect people, have people's needs meet, and spread positive messages.

Te Puke Community Board chairman Richard Crawford says the board has activated its Te Puke Community Response team, and is reaching out to those in local supermarkets, schools, police, ambulance and fire just to have conversations and make them aware of the team.

He says they are wanting to share information using social media platforms - Te Puke Community Response Facebook page and the Te Puke notice board.

"We want to use these platforms to post information about what the Government is saying we should be doing in this time, getting people to follow it.

"We also encourage those like Neighbourhood Watch to make sure they identify any needs and let us know, such as if elderly need assistance. Other groups are doing similar things."

Richard says one member of their team is leading a Federated Farmers response in the rural areas, so the board are in connection with what's happening rurally too.

"They are doing the same things - networking with people, and trying to connect with those who are alone and don't have great networks."

He says a church in Mount Maunganui had made 1000 meals and supplied 300 to be distributed.

The Daily Cafe has just become classified as an essential service in the food sector, creating meals to be distributed to people in need, he says. Preparation is began at the cafe on Friday..

"It's really about helping people get connected and having their basic needs met.

"We also really want to get out positive messages. Even though this is a serious thing, it's important to keep people in a positive frame of mind, to be kind to each other and to keep calm."

He says the response team is continuing to work with other groups to meet the needs of the community.

Anyone wanting to get in touch can go to the Te Puke Community Response team Facebook page or contact Richard on 021 453 696.