Social worker and 'shelter mum' pleased with impact of Rotorua night shelter

Eddy Hodge has been working as a social worker at the Rotorua night shelter. Photo / Stephen Parker

Some of the people who spend their nights talking to the homeless at Rotorua's night shelter are starting to see a positive impact.

Eddy Hodge has been working as a social worker for the past eight years in schools, prisons and the community. His job at the homeless shelter is simply to sit and talk with those who need a sympathetic ear.

"I am here whether they need help finding a house, support with addictions, linking in with other services or just someone to talk to.

"In a place like this, you can see the mental health issues and for some of them it can be huge."

He works as the team leader for the Visions of a Helping Hand social workers based at the Taupō night shelter, at the Rotorua women's shelter and Pukuatua St drop-in centre.

He says over the past four weeks he has been starting to get to know the homeless community well and has made real connections with them.

"We have been linking them in with other services and it's been great.

"Some of them, when I first come in, are standoff-ish and it's breaking down those barriers so they feel comfortable having an open relationship."

Having a shelter for them to come to had made a positive impact on their behaviour, he says.

At the night shelter residents sit around in the lounge like a large family living room, watching television and playing card games.

"It's a place for them to not be out in the cold and having a place they can come into has been huge for them, it is a blessing.

"Being able to sit on the couch and talk to them means I come across as more of a friend, not a counsellor, and it's when they choose to come over and sit with me that I can see they do want this help."

He says some of the residents are still negatively affected by incidents in their childhood or earlier in their lives.

"There's a guy in here who was abused all through his childhood and he's now in his 30s and that still comes out as anger, so he turns to drug use.

"It all comes down to the way he was treated when he was young and he's still quite vulnerable."

Hodge says he hopes in the future they can secure funding to have more counsellors and social workers.

"There are some big issues here and we do need more people."

Lynette Paikea has become the "shelter mum" - an affectionate name given to her by the residents.

"I was homeless myself for a while there and I met a lot of these guys while I was sleeping out in my car at the Lakefront.

"Working here, helping out, it feels like me paying that back and I think it's awesome to know they're not out in the cold."

She says over the past four weeks she has become attached to them and had built up a relationship of mutual respect.

"Having a place like this, somewhere that can be their own, that's been huge.

"For a lot of them it won't work going into housing, they need the company and support they have here."

Paikea says sometimes all the residents need is a hug, and she is happy to offer that.

"I think it's amazing what they have here, it's a safe place for them and they are starting to change.

"They keep everything so tidy and part of that is because they respect it and they respect us."

The residents have access to toilets, showers and a kitchen which she says they make sure to keep clean.

"If one person makes a mess the others will make sure they clean it up."