Warming up the lives of Tairāwhiti families

Plunket and Ernslaw One have joined forces to provide free firewood to eight Tairawhiti families with newborns. From left, Earnslaw logistics analyst Di Hu, kaiawhina Jelaire Poi and Mona Bradley and Plunket whānau awhina Lilian Jackson stock up a woodshed with the help of Errnslaw forester Winiata Blane.

The lives of eight Tairāwhiti families with newborns have been made a little warmer, thanks to Whānau Āwhina Plunket and forestry company Ernslaw One.

Plunket nurse Lilian Jackson has seen many families struggle through winter to stay warm and says some have no source of heating in their home or have only a fireplace.

“We identified the most in need and focused on families with newborns or sick children,” Jackson said.

“Cold, damp, crowded homes can increase the risk of respiratory issues and other preventable health conditions such as rheumatic fever and skin infections.

“Warm dry homes improve the health outcomes for our babies.”

Ernslaw One’s donation allowed for eight households - one in Tolaga Bay and seven in Gisborne - to each receive two cords of wood that will last them through the winter months.

“I cannot tell you what it means to these families to be warm,” Jackson said. “To have a home that warms a whole whānau and not just a jersey to warm one child is huge.

“You can’t underestimate the value and the change this firewood has made to these families’ lives. We are incredibly grateful to Ernslaw.”

Ernslaw One’s business relationship manager Bill Wheeler said the donation made to Plunket was a starting point and the company was committed to doing more.

“Given the immediate need for dry wood, we thought the best thing to do was to provide the funds to Plunket and put them in touch with a local firewood merchant, LVB Contracting, to get the wood where it was needed quickly,” he said.

“We are now looking at a number of different options to provide support to the community where it is needed.”