WelCom February 2024
Suzanne O’Rourke
Greenstone Doors has been helping pregnant women and their whānau in the Hutt Valley for over a decade – and now they are making a move.
When close to Christmas they needed to move out of their Dudley St, CBD premises, the future location for their Lower Hutt services was still undecided. The option of consolidating their services into their Upper Hutt base at the Chanel Family Centre was considered, but given the amount of counselling and support activity Greenstone Doors delivers, this was going to be a tight squeeze.
The solution emerged ‘right on Christmas’ and Greenstone Doors has moved their Lower Hutt base into the heart of Naenae to the St Bernadette’s Parish offices, which they will share with the Te Awakairangi Lay Pastoral Leader Barbara Rowley.
‘It’s a great place to locate our work,’ according to Greenstone Doors General Manager Wendy Hill. ‘This move puts us in the middle of a great community where we are already well known.’
The move from Dudley St to 194 Naenae Rd took place over the Christmas break and Greenstone Doors is once again fully functioning at both its Upper and Lower Hutt centres.
The move has been brought about for a couple of reasons. Like many charitable organisations, Greenstone Doors has found the last year to be financially challenging and the Trustees’ decision not to extend the lease on the location that has served them so well for ten years, was not taken lightly. Ms Hill says, ‘While the move from the CBD location is financially prudent, the real opportunity this gives us, is to extend the reach of our support and services into the wider community and to connect with those other organisations that are also active in this area.’
Greenstone Doors services are offered freely and include pregnancy testing, baby clothing, playgroups, counselling and access to all manner of support networks. ‘Some people find their way to Greenstone Doors to join a playgroup, to seek a listening ear through counselling, to access the food programmes, or to participate in the Greenstone Doors Men’s Programme. Whatever brings them to Greenstone Doors, they are welcome – this is “a safe place to talk”. Every family is different and the story of someone’s life is a taonga, which deserves to be handled with care.’
With its Lower Hutt Doors open once again but now at 194 Naenae Rd next to St Bernadette’s school and church, the work continues.