Etu Pasifika Auckland have continued to respond to families' needs through their Etu Rere Call Centre, following the impact of the recent floods and cyclone. They also continue to provide medical support to evacuation centres such as the Henderson Evacuation Centre, with a team of five recently sent to support evacuees from Muriwai.

As of Tuesday 14 February, the Etu Rere call centre have received 380 family referrals, made up of 2,829 individuals. They have also delivered 910 support packages, and 42 families have been relocated.

Services Manager for Etu Pasifika Auckland, Mr Malae Koria, says they will maintain their support as families are still calling through for assistance.

"We continue to hear from families who have been impacted by the floods and the recent cyclone. People are calling in for themselves or on behalf of a family they know that is in need of help; responding to our families' needs remain a priority for us.

We're working closely with the Pasifika Futures urgent response team to ensure that we're prompt in delivering support packages to those in need."

Mr Koria says they have also been able to utilise their clinical staff to provide medical support at some of the evacuation centres. Over the course of two weeks, the clinical team was present to offer extra hands across evacuation centres in Kelston and Henderson.

"We've had a few nurses and doctors from our clinic provide medical assistance to evacuation centre patients and we've been more than happy to send our team to support where needed."

In a talanoa for 531 PI's Pacific Mornings Show, Pasifika Futures (PFL) and Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) CEO, Debbie Sorensen, says it is important to be prompt and active in their call to action when the community is in need.

"As a Whānau Ora commissioning agency, we're in a unique position to be able to mobilise support immediately; we've developed really strong networks and high trust relationships.

Using ethnic specific responses and community of interest responses is really important. We've done this before, it's our superpower as a community and we know that it works."

Talking to Tagata Pasifika, PFL Board Director and Chair of The Village Community Services Trust, La'auli Sir Michael Jones, says working together is important to meet the communities' needs.

"It has been about the agencies, the churches, the community, Central Government and Local Government all coming together; it's very cohesive and it's working.

What really lifts us is when we see all these wonderful people just driving in with these goods, food and everything to help get people back on their feet."

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