Monday 19th November 2012

One good turn deserves another

An 87-year-old act of support is reciprocated.

In 1925 deaf and blind suffragette Helen Keller challenged the Lions of America to become “knights of the blind” and appealed for them to “crusade against darkness”. A few years later Lions introduced the white cane and since that time have embarked on a worldwide mission to alleviate blindness where possible. The results are impressive including, saving the sight of more than 15 million children by providing eye screenings, glasses and other treatments through Sight for Kids and vaccinating 41 million children in Africa against measles – a leading cause of childhood blindness.

Last Tuesday, here in New Zealand, 87 years on, the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind reciprocated the support to Lions Clubs campaign Heads Up for Kids, an old money and foreign currency collection, which turns the unwanted cash into legal tender and uses it to fund various education programmes for New Zealand’s youth.

RNZFB Dunedin’s Sally Brown gave a donation of old NZ and foreign coins gathered from previous appeals to Heads Up for Kids via Dunedin Lion PDG Les Box.

“It is a case of a worthy cause supporting another, ” said Mr Box.

The old money and foreign currency is processed by Lions Clubs NZ and redeemed for legal tender, the funds are then used to fund education for Kiwi kids.

Donations of old money and foreign currency can be taken to any Resene Colorshop or call 0800 OLD MONEY for a Lions Club member to arrange a collection time.

www.lionsclubs.org.nz/oldmoney
www.facebook.com/headsupforkids

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>