A Day in the Life of Our Outreach Team

Kia ora koutou, Rachel here, from the DCM Pūrongo (communications and fundraising) team. A couple of weeks ago I got to shadow Toro Atu, our Outreach team. Five hours and many kilometers later and I have a whole new appreciation for the work these amazing Kaimahi do each day.

DCM operates the only street Outreach team in Wellington. This means that our team of trained Kaimahi, led by Senior Kaimahi Raya, go out among our street communities to offer support and connection.

8:45am:

While the team sets up tea, coffee, and kai for our whānau who arrive at 9am we have a pre-brief of the coming day. Whaea Peggy reminds me to bring warm clothes, it’s cold out there.

9am:

Karakia and Waiata in the Courtyard with all staff, whānau, and the Te Aro Health staff who are onsite. Today it’s Whakataka te Hau and Ka Pioioi E.

9:15am:

Checking emails and the reporting system for community notfications of whānau sleeping rough around the city. These reports help direct our outreach team to whānau in need.

 9:20am:

We’ve barely gone round the corner when we bump into someone who Raya knows has recently lost their whare. After speaking quietly to this whānau Raya tells me as we walk away that one of our colleagues, who knows this person well, will be on their way out in a minute with a cup of coffee to kōrero with them and work out some next steps. A minute later and just down the road we come across a whānau in distress, Raya gives their key worker a call who comes out promptly, umbrella in hand, to check in.

Commenting on how well they know the whānau we work with, Charlotte agrees with me: “ That’s why I chose DCM. I wanted to work in my community.” She goes on to explain her many connections- from whakapapa to shared primary schools - that link her to the people we work with: whānau in a literal sense.

10am:

We drive through Newtown to do a wellbeing check on a whānau who came through the WCC notifications system. A concerned neighbour had let us know that there was someone sleeping rough down the road. In the meantime this person must have moved elsewhere, so Raya sends a quick response to ask for any more details (time of day they were seen or what colour clothes they were wearing) so we can try and find them and offer support the next time they are seen rough sleeping.

11am:

It’s the day after the big Wellington weather event so we drive around the coast to check on the people we have been supporting around there. It’s a spot where those without a home, but with a vehicle, sometimes go to find shelter- away from the stress and noise of the city. Raya tells me that: “you get to be a bit of a detective doing outreach.”  For reasons of safety or privacy those facing homelessnes often find shelter tucked away and out of site.

We talk about the integral work that the outreach team does, how it is often these first connections that lead people to our doors at DCM, how it can takes months of regular visits before enough trust is built up for these folks to engage with our other services:

“There are some people who don’t know about support agencies. They really think they’re alone in it.”

11:30am

We sit down for a kai at Johnsonsille Salvation Army, a good chance to connect with whānau who are based around this suburb and check in with the staff there. Raya and Charlotte know almost everyone we see. An appointment with DCMs dental service is booked for a whānau member at our table before the pumpkin soup is finished.

Midday

We briefly swing through Thorndon and the Botanic Gardens, leaving DCM’s information with a couple of people Raya hasn’t seen before. By 1pm we are back at the DCM whare for a busy afternoon of work. I’ll be back at my warm desk tomorrow and Raya will be out in the community, rain or shine.