The group had a relaxing day in Raglan
Altrusa Te Awamutu took 28 grandparents, who raise their grandchildren, to Raglan for a harbour cruise and lunch last week.
Altrusa Te Awamutu community committee members, from left, Belinda Overdevest, Di Muggeridge, Christine Melville, Jean Robertson and Lynette Courts.
The Altrusa community committee contacted all the schools, pre-schools and kindergartens in the area for names of people that qualified.
Six committee members travelled to Raglan with the group – Lynette Courts, Belinda Overdevest, Jean Robertson, Christine Melville, Di Muggeridge and Paula Walsh.
“Brenda McIvor made contact with many of the grandparents and liaised with them all individually regarding the trips final details,” community committee chair Paula Walsh said.
“They were so happy to be acknowledged and seen. It’s the sort of thing that goes pretty much unrecognised.
“There was a wide range of ages. Some had two or three or more grandchildren they’re caring for.
“We found it quite humbling. You just don’t know what life’s going to throw at you.”
The attendees gather together in Te Awamutu after their Raglan trip.
Walsh said it was something they had previously done and found it was a successful contribution to the community
“Every year we come up with something where we have a good reach to people in the community. We decided the grandparents’ day out would be a good one,” Paula said.
“We’ve heard there are more and more grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren full-time.
“They didn’t have to pay any money. We organised a Go Bus locally, met at the i-Site, travelled to Raglan and went on a cruise around the harbour, before lunch at the Harbour View Hotel.
“We were all in a lovely big room at different tables. Different groups joined together and had a great time catching up and chatting.”
Altrusa Te Awamutu took 28 grandparents to Raglan for a harbour cruise.
One lady had her grandchildren for 10 years and hadn’t been out for a meal in that whole time.
“Another woman stood up at the end of the meal and talked about how wonderful it was that they were being seen by the community, that someone had acknowledged what they do.
“She said, ‘This is God’s way. This is what God has given us to do. This is our mahi. We rise to it and we are happy to do it. It is our gift to do this’.
“Then she led a waiata. Many of us knew the waiata, so we all sang at the end of the lunch. That was really lovely.”
The group returned to Te Awamutu before 3pm so they could pick up their school-aged children.”
The group had a relaxing day in Raglan.
