A local project that started out as a small volunteer effort in the laundry room of a local midwife’s clinic five years ago has grown into a lifeline for thousands of Hawke’s Bay families. 

With the national organisation turning 50 this year, Pregnancy Help Hastings & Napier has just celebrated its fifth anniversary.

Pregnancy Help’s local branch supports an average of 200 whānau each month with free baby clothing and equipment donated by the Hawke’s Bay community. In five years, the small team has distributed more than 600,000 individual items to around 8,000 families across Hawke’s Bay — while also diverting significant amounts of reusable goods from landfill. 

Guest speakers at last Saturday’s celebration event included Hawke’s Bay paediatrician and former Children’s Commissioner Dr Russell Wills, and NZNO nurses’ union Kaiwhakahaere and indigenous health advocate Kerri Nuku. 

Dr Wills spoke about the future that his soon-to-be-born grandson will grow up in, and the importance of investing in the earliest years of life, telling guests: “We must prioritise services like Pregnancy Help that support pregnant women and whānau with young children. Because it’s the right thing to do, but also for self-interest – our economy depends on our children becoming productive citizens. The time when investment will make the biggest difference is the early years.” 

Kerri Nuku reinforced the message that systems that are not designed by, for, or around indigenous people continue to foment intergenerational harm in our communities. 

Hastings District Councillor Yvonne Lorkin, who attended the event, said: “This group of mostly volunteers is doing critical work in giving new parents and their babies the best start in life.”

The evening, which raised $2,000, celebrated the 5-year milestone and highlighted the ongoing need for practical, community-driven support for Hawke’s Bay families.

To make a donation: https://givealittle.co.nz/org/pregnancy-help-hastings-and-napier