New Zealand
Decorated Christmas trees to be donated to families in need
Giving happiness: Each tree recipient will also receive a $500 Pak’nSave voucher.
Latest from Community Services
Stories and analysis from The Northern Express Herald.
On The Up: 'Somewhere calm to sit' – Hawke’s Bay crisis cafe opens on Friday
'Sometimes they need somewhere calm to sit, something to eat, somebody who’ll listen.'
'They fight for us': East Coast groups opposes DIA proposal to cut local advisers
Sixteen regional offices would be consolidated into three under the proposal.
Trust given $1m for mental health cafe stripped of charitable status
However, Te Kupenga Net Trust has appealed and 'continues to operate lawfully'.
Hokitika man spends 500 nights away from home for medical treatment
Rānui Apartments offers rural patients a place to stay during treatment.
Editorial: The cost-of-living crisis is making volunteering harder. NZ can't afford that
OPINION: Rising living costs are making it harder for Northlanders to volunteer.
Mother rushes baby 'turning blue' to hospital after St John asks for video of seizure
The 18-month-old had to spend four days in hospital after the incident.
More than 1200 Auckland home support workers’ jobs at risk
Three non-profit providers say 4500 clients could be affected by a Health NZ decision.
Over 1200 home-support worker jobs at risk after Health NZ cuts contracts
Workers cried as they were told their care for older and disabled people was being cut.
Gisborne considers $31.39m indoor sports centre
The proposed facility would include courts for netball, basketball and futsal.
Charity faced possible deregistration when awarded $1m Health NZ tender
Health NZ said it would assess its process in awarding the tender to Te Kupenga Net Trust.
'Life is for living': The new club that helps older people thrive
"Going out and doing things is very good to do because it keeps you young at heart".
'Drop it or I'll drop you': Shop manager chases thief to recover $1k haul
Retailers say shoplifting remains a daily problem in Rotorua’s city centre.
Burst water main closes Porirua library, pool and museum
Porirua's city centre, Rānui and Elsdon are facing hours without water.
Homeless adults and children at risk of hypothermia in freezing conditions
Rotorua's coldest temperature on record has social agencies worried for vulnerable people.
'Whatever we can, we will do': A day in the life with Ōtautahi Māori Wardens
Herald journalists Jazlyn Whales and Anna Heath caught up with the big-hearted team.
It started as free haircuts for the homeless. Now, there's groceries and massages too
Melissa Aitken's charity runs without external funding, relying on community support.
The Years Ahead: When home becomes too quiet
Mary lost her husband three years ago. The evenings are the hardest.
‘Very challenging': Finding love after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 41
Andy Gutierrez was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease in 2011.
She was a middle-class Christchurch teen – and an addict
Charlotte Bell had the grades, career and sport. Then addiction took hold.
NZ's troubling new OECD ranking in rental affordability has a dire flow-on for child poverty
OPINION: Two reports reinforce that child poverty is tied to NZ's housing accessibility.
'Clumsy me': 82-year-old trapped in tub for nine days tells of ordeal
American woman Joan Rivet survived by using her toes to turn on a tap for drinking water.
'Exponential demand': Free iwi-led dental service triples regional impact
Turanga Health and Trinity Koha provided 605 free dental treatments for 178 people in 2025
Community split over city centre revitalisation proposal with nearly 100 online submissions
Critics argued empty shops and dirty streets should be tackled before any revamp.