KINDNESS THE NEW COOL: Georgia Magyar at her Waihi home where she's planted fruits for hungry grazers who pass by and an orchard further down the road. PHOTO/Alison Smith.
KINDNESS THE NEW COOL: Georgia Magyar at her Waihi home where she's planted fruits for hungry grazers who pass by and an orchard further down the road. PHOTO/Alison Smith.
From giving away wheelbarrows of fruit to being a listening ear for people in their times of biggest need, Waihi and Coromandel locals are coming together for each other right now.
"It's not about thinking less of ourselves, it's about thinking of ourselves less."
That's the wisdom of Georgia (George) Magyar who is among the town's 'doers'.
Examples from Georgia include walking dogs for people who cannot, connecting unwanted goods with people who want or need them, and volunteering.
When Georgia read on social media about a dog poo problem on the Pit Rim Walkway in town, she collected old bread bags and put them out for dog walkers to use.
Whangamata's Don Mackay has been keeping Whangamata beautiful by cleaning signs and fixtures, and says he'd rather others take similarly self-directed actions than spend time commenting, meeting and discussing.
"Some people say 'why don't council do that'. I just go out and fix and finish a job, and it jolts other people."
Georgia Magyar planted fruit trees on her verge so children who are hungry could pick the fruit.
"Every day someone comes to me and says 'you would know who might need this, or where one of these things might be found'. Look around you, talk to your neighbours, if someone has weeds in their garden, don't moan about it, go and mow their lawns for them.
"It's about literal things to get rid of problems rather than being a person who moans. Talk to people - everyone has different needs."
Renee McGregor and sons Justus and Lukas Chapman in Waihi. PHOTO/Alison Smith
Renee McGregor, a diversional therapist at Waihi Lifecare, is among those reaching out through her Ana Foundation, which she created in response to suicide, teen pregnancy and addiction in the community.
She kickstarted the Hope Walk in Waihi last year with a donation of $200 that she says blossomed into an event that the whole community embraced.
The town has come together before and is doing so again as financial pressures intensify from the Covid-19 lockdown, she says.
"It's a beautiful community. I think we're lucky to live in this place.
"When I came here I saw ruins - there were people who had a disrespect of themselves and others but over the last five years we really are blessed to live in such a place. Over five years, people have had to face and embrace who they are, it's undeniable all the yucky stuff that goes on but people aren't denying it as much."
Renee is so well known in the community she hasn't had to promote the foundation because people send her messages directly when they need to talk.
For this reason she's learned to take care of herself - a tip for anyone shouldering the burden of family and friends'.
"Before I was everyone's leaning post and it was all about everyone else, I've now come around full circle and it's about all of us."
She says a key to staying positive is to be open and to try to smile. "Everyone has got a story, everyone has got feelings."
ABUNDANCE GIVING: Lindie Foster with her sons Miles and Heath. PHOTO/Alison Smith.
Lyndie Foster is helping others in a practical way by giving away abundant feijoas - a wheelbarrow every two days - as they fall from the trees in her Waihi garden.
Renee collects these feijoas and delivers them to others, making crumble and delivering that too.
"There are some phenomenal people, they are an inspiration," says Lyndie. "Me, I just don't want to mow over feijoas! It's like everybody is doing a favour, so I just said to others 'please take them'.
"Other people go out of their way, there's a lot of greatness."
In Whangamata, Don has just cleaned the entrance sign on State Highway 25 by the Titoki/Whangamata golf course.
Originally a project by WhangamataNZ.com in conjunction with Opoutere School and Elliot Hira, it needed a freshen up from roadside grime and mildew.
Each letter on the sign represents local life, with the letter H symbolising Whangamata Rugby Club from 1963 to 2014, G showing murals painted by Maxwell, Maddi, Billie, Logan and Elliot of Opoutere School, A for celebrated Whangamata surfboard shaper and Opoutere local Pete Anderson, M for Bubbas, A for late local surfboard maker and surfing legend Bob Davie, and the final A - representing top local surfer Ella Williams.
KEEPING WHANGAMATA BEAUTIFUL: The letter H represents Whangamata Rugby Club. PHOTO/Don Mackay.
SURF THEME: The influence of celebrated local board shaper Pete Anderson is captured in the 'a'. PHOTO/Don Mackay.
