Dannevirke: Maori Wardens thanked with tea

Maori Warden co-ordinator Charlie Timu (front centre) with Shelley Vette, co-ordinator of the church group, were among those to attend a special morning tea. Photo/Christine McKay

Dannevirke's Ruahine Maori Wardens are changing the world for the better by doing God's work in our community, Canon Tim Delaney says.

On Monday, a group from St John's Anglican Church said thanks to the wardens with a morning tea, something they do for the unsung heroes in our community.

"We have a group who get together every Thursday to consider what God is saying in the Scriptures chosen for the Sunday service," Canon Delaney said. "There are a lot of groups in the community who don't get thanks and, although the message is to spread God's work, we know that through groups such as our Maori Wardens, God is already in our community. I reckon what the Ruahine Maori Wardens are doing is godly work."

Charlie Timu has been in Dannevirke for 45 years and a Maori Warden for five. "I love Dannevirke and we're here to support and listen to those out there in our community," she said. "It's a good feeling being able to help a family get on their feet.

"We know who the needy people are and are happy to help them out. One lady and her family of 11 came up from the South Island with nothing. We were able to give them all the bedding they needed to get their children off the floor and into beds. It was a starting point for that family."

Mrs Timu said it could be a scary world out there for some. "If we can pull families away from the cycle of alcohol and drug dependency, that's good," she said.

Maori Warden Cecelia Dell said it was important to be there for young people in the community who were the most vulnerable.

"We're here for our people to make this a safe place to live and a place of growth and development," she said. Mrs Dell's husband, Douglas, has been a Maori Warden since last September and says he enjoys what he does within the community.

Izzy has been a Maori Warden for two years and said she joined for personal reasons. "I wanted to get to know my culture and discover how it fits into the community," she said. "We try to help everyone in need, not just Maori. Our motto is to try and get to those at risk before they get to the courts and we have a good success rate."

Izzy says the wardens ask for nothing and work alongside Child Youth and Family and Work and Income and are there to help out on court days.

Funded by Te Puni Kokiri, the Ruahine Maori Wardens are often called on to work at functions around the North Island.

"We're always travelling safely because we've got God on our shoulder," Mrs Timu said.

But it's not just the Maori Wardens giving to the community, they're also the recipients of plenty of goodwill and donations, including chairs and desks from the Dannevirke branch of the BNZ - furniture not needed with their move to new premises this week.