5 April 2011

Pact has responded quickly to help people affected by the Christchurch earthquake on February 23.

At very short notice three Pact Otago staff drove to Rolleston the day after the quake to pick up three people with an intellectual disability and they are now staying at Pact’s mental health respite house in Centennial Avenue. Staff have been asked to work additional shifts in order to support these clients.

The West Coast District Health Board asked Pact West Coast to take four people from the inpatient unit to free up beds there for Christchurch clients. In addition Pact West Coast regional manager Helen Porter freed up Marlborough Street (used as a base for vocational support staff) to house six clients with an intellectual disability from Christchurch. Staff worked quickly to find beds and furnishings to set up the house as a short stay home. Even though the house was not required, Helen reports that the team work was fantastic.

"Spare beds were brought up from Hokitika, office furniture shifted, beds made up with borrowed linen from staff and so the list goes on. It was great to see the team work with all involved going the extra mile."

Following a request from Housing New Zealand that we should prepare ourselves to house people, Pact client programmes and service development manager Glenn Murtagh and social housing and enterprise development manager Ferdi Koen arranged for as many of the vacant Helensburgh Road flats in Dunedin to be made habitable.

Pact director of operations Donald Shand says Pact’s earthquake response has been terrific.

"There are numerous examples of people working outside of their roles to ensure that those people whose homes and lives have been dislocated as a consequence of Tuesday’s terrible events are able to resettle outside of Canterbury for the foreseeable future."

Donald says each of us is affected either directly through family and friends or simply as New Zealanders who feel disquieted by what is happening.

"Within our Pact community there will be personal stories of tragedy."

Pact Otago supported accommodation manager Thomas Cardy says it is great to see staff and clients rallying to help out our Christchurch friends, families and colleagues, with many examples of support from collection of donations to cooking and baking being sent to Christchurch.

Pact CEO Louise Carr says that right across Pact, staff were prepared to work additional shifts and worked fast to prepare for extra clients, tasks that were "above and beyond the call of duty".

She says the response has shown what great staff Pact has and everyone’s willingness to help is very much appreciated.

"It really shows the Pact spirit."