Transitional Housing (T-House) At the moment our T-House is chocka block full with children and their parents.
This is an excerpt from the ‘War Cry’ where Toga Tofilau speaks about his passion for people to know and be known by Jesus. “Transitional housing started out of concern for the amount of families who had to have children uplifted by Child, Youth and Family (CYFS). We had a conversation about wanting to do something to help these families, and CYFS said, ‘If you can find somewhere to house them, we can help.’ So we approached Housing New Zealand and said, ‘This is what we’re looking at: keeping families together, with somewhere to house them and a structured programme.’
They agreed to provide the house and we provide the programme, working on parenting, budgeting and self-development. With the parenting programme, part of it is group parenting. Every Monday we sit down together, all eight families, and go through the Toolbox programme, and we have speakers that come in from Plunket and places.
We also have a Friday playgroup, modelling stuff. Then, its just talking about experiences that we grew up with and how can we change the reasons we got there…. It’s non-stop work, there’s always something happening, but I love working with people. For me, it’s that we’re all created in the image of God. We’re working with people that have lost the sense that there are things they can offer and that God’s got something for them. They don’t believe that. So it’s about sharing the message and journeying with people.’
Toga & Liz Tofilau with Aroha Taputoro run the Transitional Housing Programme which is part of Hutt City Corps’ Community Ministries. Aroha with her mokopuna (grandchildren) live in residence at the housing complex.
Please continue to pray for this amazing team as they pour out their lives for Jesus in order that people would know Him and His all-consuming love.
If you would like to talk with Toga, Liz or Aroha about T-House, they would be happy to hear from you.