With more than half of the 4-week country lockdown behind us, how are smaller Southland communities coping with isolation and what systems have been put in place for those in need? Alina Suchanski talks to local community workers to find out.

The general feeling is that the small communities of the south have mobilised quickly and efficiently to help their most vulnerable through this difficult period by making sure they had food, were able to keep warm and had the support they needed. 

In Te Anau the Fiordland Community Board is leading a co-ordinated local response to the national COVID-19 lockdown. Board chairwoman Sarah Greaney and Mararoa Waimea ward councillor Ebel Kremer are taking a lead role in keeping the community updated.

The Fiordland community response was initiated by Dale Wairau from the Fiordland Community House, who arranged for a group of community leaders to get together before New Zealand went into lockdown. They compiled a flyer with helpful information and contact details for people and organisations who could help others, which was distributed to the community before the lockdown started.

The Fiordland Community Board Facebook page is being updated twice a day by Mrs Greaney with regular posts of official central government and relevant local information.

“A local restaurant was given approval from the Emergency Management Southland for providing food to those who need it. It’s a meals-on-wheels service available for the elderly and vulnerable, currently producing food for ten households in Te Anau at the cost of $55 per person per week” Mrs Greaney says.

A volunteer network coordinated by Mary Climo ensures that Te Anau Basin elderly and vulnerable people are not socially isolated and that they have everything they need.

“We have 25 volunteers on our list to check in on the elderly, but surprisingly we have not been very busy. People haven’t needed much assistance. Most of them have family members or neighbours looking after them,” Mrs Climo says. 

Nevertheless volunteers take turns to make regular phone calls to check on people and pass information to those who are not on-line. In addition they deliver groceries, mow lawns and help in any way they can.

Individuals are also coming up with interesting ideas on how to keep the community in mental and physical health.  

A retired Fiordland College English teacher, Lathee Verrall posted a writing challenge on the Te Anau Community Information Facebook page. She asked people to write a short piece about their experiences of life in times of COVID-19, and received a dozen entries so far with a few more yet to come. She intends to produce a booklet containing the stories.

Te Anau Yoga had to stop classes during the lockdown, but teachers are running yoga sessions through live streaming or recording yoga videos and posting them on the Te Anau Yoga Facebook page. 

The Community of Northern Southland is surviving the lockdown very confidently, according to the Community Co-ordinator, Cara Colquhoun. 

“Neighbours are looking after their neighbours and regular phone calls to our seniors prove that they all have plenty of support and assistance by family members and community services.

“Our Local Four Square supermarket is providing an online order and delivery or pick up service, we have a Northern Southland Lock Down Hub Facebook page that anyone in the community can join to keep updated on local news and ideas to help get through this time,” Mrs Colquhoun says.

The Takitimu Community Development Committee has set up a clever neighbourhood watch system in Nightcaps and Ohai, to keep their communities connected and protected.

The development committee circulated a flyer with essential information to all householders in their townships, along with sheets of coloured paper to place in their road-facing windows – green if they’re OK and pink if they need someone to talk to.

The Nightcaps and Ohai fire brigades are monitoring the wellbeing of their communities, looking out for pink paper in people’s windows during daily drive-bys. The idea is a simple and effective way for a community to keep an eye on itself during the period of self-isolation.

“The two brigades are pretty much the one-stop helping shop out here, that’s for real. Everyone knows and trusts us, so we get the calls,” Nightcaps brigade member Tony Philpott says.

Otautau community worker, Zola Ayson says that her town is “ticking along nicely and quietly”, but she’s been busier than usual since the lockdown started.

“Usually I work three days per week, but lately it’s been five days a week. I contacted all the elderly and those in need in Otautau asking if they needed groceries or anything else. Most of them have families that look after them.” 

“For those that do need help, the two local supermarkets set up phone ordering of groceries. The police keep an eye on the supermarket and if someone goes in four times per day, they question it. The New Life Church made 20 meals and took them to older people living alone. The Otautau Café is offering meals-on-wheels with deliveries on Wednesdays,” Mrs Ayson says.

The Riverton Community House’s two employees Eileen Cleaver and Anissa Hammond are both currently working from home. 

“We are available for emergencies only and have done one food parcel. I am keeping in touch with all of my clients by phone and they are all managing fairly well under the circumstances. As a whole our community has come together well and are supporting each other. There are friends and family supporting the elderly with food, and the local pharmacy and medical centre are working well with the elderly and locals in general to make sure all needs are met. I think the next couple of weeks I may find that some families and individuals will begin to struggle with the lockdown, particularly clients with mental health and family violence issues may find it difficult. I have a very good working relationship with our local police, so if anything develops we will work through things as they unfold,” Ms Hammond says. 

Winton Community Support worker, Louise Faithful believes that Winton seems to be coping fairly well.

“We have people who have volunteered to do grocery shopping for those over 70 who have no other options, but so far I haven’t had to organise this for too many people. I think family and neighbours are looking out for our elderly very well. I have seen people in the queue at New World taking elderly people to the front of the queue to avoid them having to stand out in the cold or in the long lines.” 

“We are trying to let people know when flu vaccines are available at the chemist to take some pressure off the medical centre and arranging for some elderly to be taken up there so they can get their jabs as soon as possible.”

“We have put a flyer out to mail boxes informing people of all the important and necessary numbers of who to contact for whatever reasons. I have been ringing around elderly just to touch base and make sure they are coping okay,” Mrs Faithful says.

The churches are also looking out for people and ringing around checking in on them. They too are grocery shopping for their elders and giving rides when necessary.

The general consensus is that at times like this the great community spirit gets mobilised. Family, friends and neighbours step up with whatever help is needed, be it delivering groceries, cooking meals, mowing lawns, organising firewood, or simply calling to check on each other. Everyone is pulling together in a neighbourly manner making sure no one falls through the cracks.

If you or anyone you know needs help or support with anything, please contact one of the community workers in your area and they will do whatever they can to assist.

The phone numbers are:

• Te Anau: Sara Greaney 027 222 6634, Mary Climo 027 222 4344, Ebel Kremer 0275107785
• Winton Community Support worker: Louise Faithful (03) 236 9934 or 027 236 9934
• Otautau Community Worker: Zola Ayson 03 225 8233
• Tuatapere Community Worker: Keri Potter 027 757 5983
• Riverton Community House : Anissa Hammond 027 250 0532, Eileen Cleaver 027 681 7441
• Northern Southland Community Co-ordinator: Cara Colquhoun 027 810 8880