December 10, 2024 • 7 mins
The Vulnerable Support Charitable Trust (VSCT) is calling on the help of Wellingtonians ahead of the festive season.
The trust is behind an initiative to provide Christmas hampers for families across the Wellington region, now in its second year.
But demand for the hampers is up almost 80 per cent on last year, and spokesperson Clint Schoultz says they need donations from Wellingtonians to sponsor hampers for families who don’t have the spare income for a traditional Christmas spread.
Schoultz joined Nick Mills to talk about the initiative.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Well Christmas is upon us and while it's a time
of festival festivities for some of us, some of us
are not so lucky. Wellington's Vulnerable Support Charitable Trust is
now in its second year of putting together Christmas hampers
for families that need and demand is up eighty percent.
They're looking for generous Wellingtonians to sponsor hampers. Joining us
(00:35):
now is Clint Swatts from the VSCT.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Good Morning Clinton, Good morning Meg, Car's a gang.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Good thank you. I mean just the fact that the
demand is up eighty percent. I mean, how tough is
it out there.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
It's very tough for a lot of families. I think
Wellington is feeling out a lot more. With so many
government departments in Wellington, we've seen a huge increase. We
feed or we supply food to twenty three schools Cohunga
and Kindy's across a wider Wellington region, and that is
breakfast and lunch every day at school. What we do
(01:08):
is we go to all the schools, Kindys and Cohanger
and ask them for their list of their most vulnerable
families and then we supply them the week before Christmas
large box of food that has enough to feed four
or five people, two or three meals, so the family
can get together and actually have a Christmas meal.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Togat, what do you actually put in the hampers?
Speaker 3 (01:30):
There's large chickens, there's potatoes, rice, We do desserts, biscuits,
a few snacks, vegetables, just enough to make a really
good meal.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Why do you think that demands so high? And why
do you think people are doing it tough? We know
the cost of living, we know that the government's made
a lot of people redundant. But do you what's your
gut telling you?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I just think Wellington is it's tough at the moment,
and it's Wellington, as I said, is feeling it more
than a lot of other parts of New Zealand because
there's so many government departments.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And how do you get the hampers to people? How
do you work it all? How do you know who
to give it to them, when to give it to
them and if they need it?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
So the schools and Kennys give us the names of
the families that.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Can you supply everyone that they get a name for Yep.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
That's right. And Lee Ewen who runs a trust, she's amazing,
and we use a small group of volunteers. We put
all their hampers together and then they spend three days
just on deliveries and.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
You just do it in a van and away you go. Yep,
where do you actually put them together?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
We put them. We have a place in Johnsonville and
Linden and we create lots of tables, just place them
all together and then they delivered every day and the
faces on some of the children that we deliver it to,
it creates that Christmas spirit. You can actually feel their
gratitude and you know what it's going to do to
(03:04):
their family.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
How many did you go about?
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Last year we gave just under two hundred, one hundred
and seventy eight and then a few little extras after that.
This year we're sitting over three hundred and thirty.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Wow. And how do you get funded for it? How
do you get the money together? And how do you
buy the stuff? Do you get donations from supermarkets and stuff?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
We work very closely with Gilmore's. They give us good pricing,
but the charity still buys it. We have six corporate
sponsors that do contribute to that. They help us feed
some of the school.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Give us those six names. Let's tell people who are
out there giving them stuff. They put you on the spot.
You don't worry that has don't know, don't worry about it.
It's just nice to be able to identify people that
want to help. But that's good, don't and a.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Great great space to go is on our website. It's
VSC Trust dot org dot nz and that gives a
lot of information about them. People donate absolutely on the
website and we were wanting the Wellington community. We are
a very Wellington focused charity. We look after Wellington, the schools,
all that we is in Wellington. We also do Take
(04:08):
ten as you know, it's all Wellington focused and we
look after that.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
That was Take ten going. I mean Take ten for
those listeners that don't know. As a charity set up
to in a couple of sites on Courtney Place to
give people time out, give them water if they had
too much a drink or if their batteries run out
on their phone, get them home, get them help them
to do stuff. It's an amazing thing. How's that been going?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
The mind is as strong as it's always been over.
Saturday was great day. This last Saturday. There was a
lot of events happening all over the city. We had
the cricket. We would have had over seven thousand people
come through us on Saturday evening between ten and three.
And that's to charge your phones, for us to get ubers,
(04:49):
for them home because they stranded, or just a place
where they could take a break or connect with somebody.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
How do people sort of I don't know, I just
keep this feeling like I don't know why it's come
to my mind, but I'm going to put it out
there anyway. Families to family. So my family wanted to
give to a family less fortunate. Could they do that?
Could they go on your site and say, I want
to donate a hamp I don't want my name on
it or anything, or even if I did want my
name on it, it's fine. Could I donate a hamper
to a family and need.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yeah, their hampers are around one hundred and twenty dollars
per hamper the cost for us, and there is on
our website there is a link for donations. And that's
what we're hoping. We're either hoping for a few corporates
to get behind us to help us. There's a huge need.
Even the twenty three schools that we supply breakfast and
lunch to. We have another thirty plus on a waiting
(05:39):
list that want to be part of our program. But
we are.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Tied for where does your money come from?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
We get grants. As I said, we do have six
corobriate We have the people like Paul Retterman, who Wayne
Johnson that are huge supporters of us. We just we
need we need the money. We need corporates and we
need families that if they can to do small monthly contributions.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So this is really a call for help. This chat's
a bit of a call for help saying hey, we're
doing the stuff help helping families that aren't so fortunate.
Some of them, some of them listeners will be one
of those people received some of those people receiving hampers.
But we're all in different states, in different minds. But
this is a call for help. To get on your website,
Wellington Vulnerable Support Charitable Trust.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
It's VSC trust dot org dot nz, So yes, see
trust dot org dot nz.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
We'll put that up on our Facebook page and our
website and try and help you over the next couple
of days. So when we get an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
To talk and really appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Thank you, Clint, thank you for all the work you do.
We appreciate it. The take tens an amazing achievement for
you and your organization. I know Lee does a wonderful
job as well, and I know that I let you down.
You wanted me to work one weekend and I couldn't. Unfortunately,
I had three staff members six so I've got to
go what I've got to go. But I do think
that the organization is great and I would love to
help out it some stays.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Laugh is always open. We're always there right on Saturday nights.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Thank you. If I don't see you before, have a
very merry Christmas to you and your organization. Congratulations for
all the work you do. Thank you, Nick okay.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine a m.
Week days, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Well Christmas is upon us and while it's a time
of festival festivities for some of us, some of us
are not so lucky. Wellington's Vulnerable Support Charitable Trust is
now in its second year of putting together Christmas hampers
for families that need and demand is up eighty percent.
They're looking for generous Wellingtonians to sponsor hampers. Joining us
(00:35):
now is Clint Swatts from the VSCT.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Good Morning Clinton, Good morning Meg, Car's a gang.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Good thank you. I mean just the fact that the
demand is up eighty percent. I mean, how tough is
it out there.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
It's very tough for a lot of families. I think
Wellington is feeling out a lot more. With so many
government departments in Wellington, we've seen a huge increase. We
feed or we supply food to twenty three schools Cohunga
and Kindy's across a wider Wellington region, and that is
breakfast and lunch every day at school. What we do
(01:08):
is we go to all the schools, Kindys and Cohanger
and ask them for their list of their most vulnerable
families and then we supply them the week before Christmas
large box of food that has enough to feed four
or five people, two or three meals, so the family
can get together and actually have a Christmas meal.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Togat, what do you actually put in the hampers?
Speaker 3 (01:30):
There's large chickens, there's potatoes, rice, We do desserts, biscuits,
a few snacks, vegetables, just enough to make a really
good meal.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Why do you think that demands so high? And why
do you think people are doing it tough? We know
the cost of living, we know that the government's made
a lot of people redundant. But do you what's your
gut telling you?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
I just think Wellington is it's tough at the moment,
and it's Wellington, as I said, is feeling it more
than a lot of other parts of New Zealand because
there's so many government departments.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And how do you get the hampers to people? How
do you work it all? How do you know who
to give it to them, when to give it to
them and if they need it?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
So the schools and Kennys give us the names of
the families that.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Can you supply everyone that they get a name for Yep.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
That's right. And Lee Ewen who runs a trust, she's amazing,
and we use a small group of volunteers. We put
all their hampers together and then they spend three days
just on deliveries and.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
You just do it in a van and away you go. Yep,
where do you actually put them together?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
We put them. We have a place in Johnsonville and
Linden and we create lots of tables, just place them
all together and then they delivered every day and the
faces on some of the children that we deliver it to,
it creates that Christmas spirit. You can actually feel their
gratitude and you know what it's going to do to
(03:04):
their family.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
How many did you go about?
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Last year we gave just under two hundred, one hundred
and seventy eight and then a few little extras after that.
This year we're sitting over three hundred and thirty.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Wow. And how do you get funded for it? How
do you get the money together? And how do you
buy the stuff? Do you get donations from supermarkets and stuff?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
We work very closely with Gilmore's. They give us good pricing,
but the charity still buys it. We have six corporate
sponsors that do contribute to that. They help us feed
some of the school.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Give us those six names. Let's tell people who are
out there giving them stuff. They put you on the spot.
You don't worry that has don't know, don't worry about it.
It's just nice to be able to identify people that
want to help. But that's good, don't and a.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Great great space to go is on our website. It's
VSC Trust dot org dot nz and that gives a
lot of information about them. People donate absolutely on the
website and we were wanting the Wellington community. We are
a very Wellington focused charity. We look after Wellington, the schools,
all that we is in Wellington. We also do Take
(04:08):
ten as you know, it's all Wellington focused and we
look after that.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
That was Take ten going. I mean Take ten for
those listeners that don't know. As a charity set up
to in a couple of sites on Courtney Place to
give people time out, give them water if they had
too much a drink or if their batteries run out
on their phone, get them home, get them help them
to do stuff. It's an amazing thing. How's that been going?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
The mind is as strong as it's always been over.
Saturday was great day. This last Saturday. There was a
lot of events happening all over the city. We had
the cricket. We would have had over seven thousand people
come through us on Saturday evening between ten and three.
And that's to charge your phones, for us to get ubers,
(04:49):
for them home because they stranded, or just a place
where they could take a break or connect with somebody.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
How do people sort of I don't know, I just
keep this feeling like I don't know why it's come
to my mind, but I'm going to put it out
there anyway. Families to family. So my family wanted to
give to a family less fortunate. Could they do that?
Could they go on your site and say, I want
to donate a hamp I don't want my name on
it or anything, or even if I did want my
name on it, it's fine. Could I donate a hamper
to a family and need.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Yeah, their hampers are around one hundred and twenty dollars
per hamper the cost for us, and there is on
our website there is a link for donations. And that's
what we're hoping. We're either hoping for a few corporates
to get behind us to help us. There's a huge need.
Even the twenty three schools that we supply breakfast and
lunch to. We have another thirty plus on a waiting
(05:39):
list that want to be part of our program. But
we are.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Tied for where does your money come from?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
We get grants. As I said, we do have six
corobriate We have the people like Paul Retterman, who Wayne
Johnson that are huge supporters of us. We just we
need we need the money. We need corporates and we
need families that if they can to do small monthly contributions.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So this is really a call for help. This chat's
a bit of a call for help saying hey, we're
doing the stuff help helping families that aren't so fortunate.
Some of them, some of them listeners will be one
of those people received some of those people receiving hampers.
But we're all in different states, in different minds. But
this is a call for help. To get on your website,
Wellington Vulnerable Support Charitable Trust.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
It's VSC trust dot org dot nz, So yes, see
trust dot org dot nz.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
We'll put that up on our Facebook page and our
website and try and help you over the next couple
of days. So when we get an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
To talk and really appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Thank you, Clint, thank you for all the work you do.
We appreciate it. The take tens an amazing achievement for
you and your organization. I know Lee does a wonderful
job as well, and I know that I let you down.
You wanted me to work one weekend and I couldn't. Unfortunately,
I had three staff members six so I've got to
go what I've got to go. But I do think
that the organization is great and I would love to
help out it some stays.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Laugh is always open. We're always there right on Saturday nights.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Thank you. If I don't see you before, have a
very merry Christmas to you and your organization. Congratulations for
all the work you do. Thank you, Nick okay.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine a m.
Week days, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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