Donate
Financial donations are a great way to help others in need. You can donate online via bank transfer at:
If you need somewhere to stay
- If you need emergency accommodation, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment can help. Register with them by calling 0508 754 163.
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If you have nowhere to stay right now, you can call Work and Income on 0800 559 009 to apply for emergency housing.
- You can also get in touch with the Downtown Community Ministry (DCM). They work with vulnerable people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to help them into sustainable housing.
- If you are worried about a vulnerable person or need help yourself, our Emergency Welfare team may also be able to help – phone our Contact Centre on 04 499 4444 or text 3400 – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you need financial support
If you are experiencing serious financial hardship due to COVID-19, visit Work and Income New Zealand.
Services for over 65s
Age Concern Wellington provides help and support to people aged 65 and over and has police-vetted volunteers throughout the Greater Wellington region.
Donate
If you’d like to help, you can donate money online via bank transfer at Age Concern New Zealand.
Translated information and resources
Support for foreign nationals
Help is available for eligible foreign nationals on visitor, student, or work visas who are experiencing serious financial hardship due to COVID-19. Visit: Work and Income New Zealand.
Accessible information for people with disabilities
Information is available in a number of accessible formats.
New Zealand Sign Language
Easy Read
Large print and audio
Information for the deaf community can be found at Deaf Aotearoa’s website.
How you can help others
At Alert Level 1, work, school sports and domestic travel can resume as normal and there are no restrictions on numbers of people at gatherings.
For details: covid19.govt.nz – Alert Level 1 information
If you want to volunteer your time you can go through an approved service such as Volunteer Wellington, City Mission, local food banks, Age Concern, religious support groups, or counselling services. Also check in with your local Community Centre as they may be able to connect you with local volunteering efforts to support your community.
Check in on relatives, vulnerable people, friends, whānau and neighbours, to make sure they have everything they need. You can do this over the phone or in person, making sure you continue to follow good hygiene practices at all times. You should avoid contact with others if you are feeling unwell.
Volunteer from home
- Check in with Volunteer Wellington about how you might be able to help from home.
- Connect elderly people with Age Concern Wellington, where you can become a telephone volunteer and you call and check-in with them at least two hours each week.
- Help with research into the coronavirus by donating your computer or gaming system’s capacity with Folding@home
- Help blind or visually impaired people with the BeMyEyes App.
Looking after your mental health and wellbeing
It has been a challenging time and it’s normal to feel stressed or lonely, even with the recent drop in alert level. Here are some things you can do to boost your mental wellbeing and that of your loved ones.
Keeping active
Getting outdoors is essential for our physical and mental wellbeing. At Alert Level 1, you can make the most of our open spaces and play spaces. Our recreation centres and community pools are also open for use.
Staying connected with others
Social connection is vital for our wellbeing. Staying connected is good for all of us and can help us with planning for practical needs and having support through the restrictions.
A good way to stay connected is to get involved in your local community by connecting with your community centre, or start/ join your neighbourhood group on Whatsapp or Facebook to support each other.
Find out what’s happening with Council services and facilities.
You can also tie into neighbourhood groups online and over the phone.