Editors Note: This is the first of five articles highlighting Rotary projects around the world.
Many low-income residents of Porirua, a suburb of Wellington, struggle to connect with agencies that assist with food, housing, employment, and matters related to family and finances. In the eastern part of the town, “the communities have large populations of Maori and Pacific families, and many are unable to access the information because of lack of computers, or language barriers,” says June Murugan, immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Porirua. “Families find themselves left behind, often frustrated and unable to fully participate in society.”
To remedy that, in March the club helped open a satellite branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau, a national service network, to serve that population on a one-on-one basis. The club’s $3,000 outlay for the initiative was matched by a grant from District 9940.