Incredible people doing incredible things: greetings and Kia Ora.
Members 3100 families
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
GRG turns 7 this month; we have been going for seven years now!
And we are still all voluntary workers, and look how far we have
come!
Wellington GRG’s:
Your GRG support group is arranging a 'Seminar on Wills'. Monday
3rd April at 11.30 a.m. Please contact either Cecilie Donovan on
04 477 0632 or Barbara Jeffries on 04 526 4318 to register and for
more information.
Calling our Dunedin GRG’s:
We are in need of a GRG Support Group to start in your area. Are
any of you interested in getting one off the ground, if so phone
Di on our 0800 number please. We will help you.
Community Services Cards:
These have been posted out. If you have not received yours please
phone 0800 999 999.
Child with Disabilities and needing help:
Are you at a loss as to where to turn? Free phone 0508 236236 Parent
& Family will help with advice and contacts for your area.
GRG Co-ordinators Training:
March 2nd and 3rd saw 21 GRG Co’s attending this. It was a
wonderful get together and the presenters on the various subjects
were superb. I am sure they all learnt a lot from this and will
share with you all. Thank you to those that took time out from your
busy schedules to attend this event. Do you know what I also noticed
about this group of people, they have the most fabulous sense of
humour! But then again doing the job which we do one supposes we
have to be able to laugh. Some hilarious times were had during some
of these training sessions. We also had Chris & Colin from England
and Ann from Australia with us representing their GRG groups in
their countries.
Anecdote:
Which one of our co-ordinators at the airport on her way home had
her condoms fall out of her bag and slide across the floor in front
of many people? Those not so little green boxes with a graphic picture
of the contents were also viewed by a well known actor in the queue.
Now normally this GRG co would have looked the other way and pretended
they were not hers, but another Co called out to her that she had
dropped her condoms. A flustered explanation that she was a grandparent
raising grandchildren co-ordinator who was returning from a training
conference where they had been given a training session on ‘Sexual
Health’ left the actor looking quite quizzical, in the GRG’s
fluster she produced her pen which also contained the words, Sexual
Health on it. At this stage he was in hysterics and nearly lost
the plot totally when she produced a pamphlet from the Sexual health
speaker which said “Chlamydia is not a flower” She reassured
him that the condoms were not for her nor for the children she is
raising, yet, but going to be there in the back of the bathroom
cupboard should the need arise, as she was looking after his health
and safety.
Only many $$$$$$$$ donated to GRG Trust will let me release her
name!
Oh how I wish I was there to witness this saga !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Census 2006:
I must say we were very impressed to see in the census that they
included grandchildren under the individual and living accommodation
that will send a signal to those that do this. We do really need
to tell them where it is at in our lives. So we hope you did this!
It is VERY important!
Wellington, Auckland & Whakatane Grandparents:
Are any of you raising a grandchild/kin child with a physical disability?
This must not include an intellectual disability though. The child
must be fully functioning but the physical disability causes hardship.
If so please contact Di on our 0800 number if a toll call or from
Auckland on 480 6530.
JOIN UP TO THE COUCH… www.thecouch.org.nz
The Families Commission is inviting people from across New Zealand
to join them on The Couch – the Commission’s new online
panel for feedback on family issues.
Panel members will get the chance to regularly have their say on
topical family matters through opinion polls and longer responses
to posted questions.
For example, there might be a quick set of yes/no questions about
parenting or the Commission may seek opinion on how families can
be better supported.
The information gathered though The Couch will be used as an integral
part of the Commission’s work programme, including helping
to develop the advice it provides on the development of new government
policies and services
The results will be posted on the website and emailed to panel
members.
Children Struggling with
their Homework:
We have found a site recommended by my little one's teacher www.anyquestions.co.nz
that helps with homework. You can chat to a real librarian who is
at a library. So if you are not able to get out to the library to
look up the reference materials, the child can 'chat' to the librarian
online. This is bona fide and safe, so check it out. The teacher/librarian
is only there between 1 and 6pm, have a look. You need to check
this out yourself first. Don't just rely on my word. But it will
save you a trip to the library. Liz D.
Can You Leave Someone Out of
a Will?
When you make a Will you want to know that your property will go
to the people you want it to. You can leave close family members
out of your Will or recognise family members in unequal shares if
there are good reasons for it but the will may be challenged as
a breach of your duty to provide for those family members.
There are four main restrictions on doing what you want in your
Will.
1. There is a moral duty on the Will-maker to adequately provide
for the proper maintenance and support of people entitled to provision
from their estate.
These are:
? The wife or husband;
? The children;
? Dependent step-children;
? Grandchildren; and
? Parents (in special circumstances).
The duty to provide is not limited to those who need financial
assistance. Many well-off claimants have received substantial payments
from the estate for non-financial reasons, such as an acknowledgement
of their place of belonging in the family. The amount of payment
will vary in all the circumstances of the particular case.
2. The law allows a person who has performed some service or work
for the deceased in return for a promise of reward in the Will to
claim from the estate. The work provided and the promise to reward
the worker in the will must be related to each other. The amount
awarded will be confined to reasonable compensation for the work
actually done for the deceased.
3. The partner of a deceased person can now claim an equal share
of his or her estate instead of receiving whatever they were left
in the Will. The law about equal sharing at the end of a relationship
did not previously extend to when people died. If the survivor of
the relationship is not bound by a property-sharing agreement and
is not adequately provided for in the Will then a claim for equal
sharing can be made.
4. The Will-maker must be of sound mind when making the Will and
they must not have been unduly influenced or fooled into making
certain provisions in the Will.
If you want to leave your property in a way that differs from normal
it is important to tell your lawyer why and to provide good evidence
to back up those reasons. This will enable the Court to take those
reasons into account.
Jane Stevenson Call Toll Free 0800 733 424. Rainey Collins Lawyers
read more on www.raineycollins.co.nz
Free Caregiver Courses for May
& June 2006:
To register: please contact Maxine Carroll on 0800 227 305 or fax
04 9132168.
CYF will reimburse petrol money and child care costs. These courses
are facilitated and run by the Foster Care Federation.
1-05-06
Managing Behaviour
Levin 03-05-06
Older Child
Tauranga 05-05-06
Caregivers Induction
South Auckland 05-05-06
Caregivers Induction
Blenheim 06-05-06
Older Child
Wellington 12-05-06
Safe Caring
Hastings 12-05-06
Caregivers Induction
Whangarei 13-05-06
Caregivers Induction
Masterton 16-05-06
Caregivers Induction
Invercargill 18-05-06
Child Health
New Plymouth 18-05-06
Understanding Maltreatment
Dunedin 19-05-06
Child Health
Nelson 24-05-06
Managing Behaviour
Rotorua 26-05-06
Child Health
Whakatane 27-05-06
Child Health
Greymouth 07-06-06
Managing Behaviour
Whangarei 09-06-06
Managing Behaviour
Waitakere 10-06-06
Family Dynamics
Palmerston North 15-06-06
Older Child
Christchurch 16-06-06
Caregivers Induction
Hamilton 17-06-06
Caregivers Induction
Lower Hutt 22-06-06
Understanding Maltreatment
Porirua 22-06-06
Caregivers Induction
Waitakere 22-06-06
Legal Issues
New Plymouth 23-06-06
Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI)
South Auckland 23-06-06
Caregivers Induction
Dunedin 24-06-06
Older Child
Whakatane
Advisement for Auckland region:
I'm a 4th year Counselling and Family Therapy student at the HD&T
Institute in Newmarket. I've been seeing clients in private practice
at the rooms of St. Luke Community Centre in Newmarket since 2003
and I'm currently working for a health centre in West Auckland.
My practice is open to individuals as well as couples and families.
I offer my clients the opportunity to voice their concerns and issues
in a caring and unbiased environment in order to facilitate personal
change and empowerment.
About myself: Born Swiss, I've been living in New Zealand since
1994.
I'm married and the mother of two school aged kids.
You can contact me on 815 62 01 or 021 142 50 82 or email me on
christine@murphy.net
What is Methamphetamine and
how does it affect the body?
We would like to greatly thank and acknowledge the Compass Community
Village and Drug Arm for this resource.
"P" is a more potent form of amphetamine. "METH"
can be smoked, eaten, snorted or injected. "P's" effect
on the body is similar to that of the natural chemical adrenaline,
but with deadly side effects. Once in the body "P" quickly
affects the central nervous system, speeding up the heart and increasing
blood pressure uncontrollably. While the high from one hit of crack
lasts about 15 - 20 minutes, a "P" high can last for hours.
Smoking the Crystal form, "ICE", can produce a high for
up to 24 hours. Users on a "run" or a "marathon"
taking "P" hits every few hours, go for days on end without
eating or sleeping.
"P" is highly addictive and causes the brain to release
dopamine, a natural chemical that makes you feel good and is vital
to normal brain functioning. After a while, "P's" presence
in the brain forces neurons to release an enzyme that destroys the
extra dopamine, as well as the brain's ability to produce dopamine.
Prolonged use of "P" results in a permanent altering of
the brains natural chemistry. Translation: Brain Damage.
The body also builds up a tolerance to Methamphetamine. This means
that a user needs more of the drug each time to reach the same high.
It's like listening to high volume music - after a while it doesn't
seem loud.
When the effects of the drug wear off, users experience a severe
'crash'. Some may sleep for long periods of time, but most users
experience what is called "tweaking" or "Methamphetamine
Psychosis", a condition similar to schizophrenia. They become
paranoid, delusional and strike out aggressively at those around
them and themselves. They may also have fevers of up to 180 degrees,
which could cause permanent brain damage. With continued use, the
"crashes" get worse and worse.
________________________________________
Where does Methamphetamine come from?
Methamphetamine is produced in makeshift underground laboratories.
The people making the drug usually have no scientific background
and manufacture it dangerously. There is no way to know how strong
"P" is on the street, or even what is actually in it.
The Effects of Methamphetamine
Some short-term side effects are...
• A false sense of well-being • Stimulation of the adrenal
gland • Hallucinations
• Convulsions, twitching and jerking • Constriction
of blood vessels • Acne and sores
• Aggressive behaviour • Rise in blood pressure •
Paranoia
• Increased heart rate • Impaired speech • Insomnia
• Increased muscle tension • Dry, itchy skin
• Grinding of teeth • Loss of appetite
Some long-term effects are...
• Malnutrition • Permanent psychological problems
• Liver damage • Lowered resistance to illness
• Brain damage • Stroke
• Severe weight loss • Coma
• Fatal kidney and lung disorders • Death
• Insomnia
________________________________________
Addiction and Withdrawal Symptoms
Users of large amounts of "P" over a long period of time
can develop an amphetamine psychosis, which is a mental disorder
similar to paranoid schizophrenia. The psychosis is manifested by
hallucinations, delusions and paranoia. Bizarre, sometimes violent,
behaviour is exhibited by those with amphetamine psychosis. Symptoms
usually disappear within a few weeks after drug use stops.
Withdrawal Symptoms
"P" has the potential to produce tolerance, which means
that increased amounts of the drug are needed to achieve the desired
effects. Withdrawal symptoms can occur when amphetamines are stopped
abruptly. Users may experience fatigue; long, disturbed periods
of sleep; irritability; intense hunger, and moderate to severe depression.
The length and severity of depression is related to how much and
how often amphetamines were used.
• Craving • Deep or disturbed sleep, lasting up to 48
hours
• Exhaustion • Extreme hunger
• Depression • Psychotic reaction
• Mental confusion • Anxiety reaction
• Restlessness and insomnia
________________________________________
Approaching or Communicating with a Person under the Influence of
Methamphetamine
? Keep a 7 - 10 foot distance. Coming too close can be perceived
as threatening
? Do not shine bright lights at him/her. The user is already paranoid,
and if blinded by a bright light they are likely to run or become
violent
? Slow your speech and lower the pitch of your voice. A user already
hears sounds at a fast pace and in a high pitch
? Slow your movements. This will decrease the odds that the user
will misinterpret your physical actions
? Keep your hands visible. If you place your hands where the user
can't see them, they might feel threatened and could become violent.
________________________________________
Myths and Facts about Methamphetamine
Myth Using "P" will give you energy.
Fact "P" dangerously increases your heart rate and blood
pressure. The extra energy leads to convulsions and
Tremors, stroke, heart attack, coma or death
Myth "P" is safer than heroine and cocaine.
Fact "P" is more harmful than cocaine and heroine. It
is highly accessible and cheaper to produce with side effects
that are just as deadly.
Myth "P" will help you loose weight.
Fact "P" takes away your appetite for anything except
"P", resulting in a pale complexion, sunken eyes and cheeks,
and rotten teeth. "P" makes your body cannibalise itself.
Below are a selection of thoughts from 10 Grandparents and Aunties
who have taken on the care of their kin children. This is a mixture
of NZ and American Carers thoughts on when the children first arrived.
A knock at the door
and there she stood
two grand’s in tow
they have no where to go
said Social worker very hard
took grandma off her guard
Words spilled at such a pace
shock filled grandma's old face
children crying and full of fear
as grandma pulled them very near
in her arms she held them tight
as the Social worker disappeared into the night
****
That very mean G.A.L.
knew my baby WOULD live in hell
she never cared and never will
she gets her kicks sending me her bill.
****
A little girl with eyes shining bright
long flowing curls and a giggle so light
she squirmed her way into my heart
and I pray that we shall never part
Some days are tiring and very long
she makes them all worthwhile with a little song
and tells the world she loves her Mimi
even though at times she calls me Meanie
****
We snuggle under the covers we two
she says "oh Oma, I always want to stay with you,
I kiss her gently on the nose
and pray to GOD this case would CLOSE
She sleeps so peacefully in the night
I watch her breath and wish her life to be bright
she is my love and my little girl
the thought of the bio makes my upper lip curl
****
These tiny bits of humanity
Get no promises, get no guarantee.
They'll see no rainbow signs
with promises of love.
No days of sunshine
brought by a dove.
but
They'll grow tough and strong
They'll know right from wrong.
I'll teach them, said she
I'll help her, said he.
****
And the trials and tribulations
pfffft let them be, for we'll tackle
them one by one you see.
We'll dance in the clover and squeal
with delight for we're growing up
just for spite!
We are happy, healthy and full of glee
cause Mimi and Papa love me!
She spreads her venom far and wide
to try to get people on her side
the lies, fantasies she tells them all
she is heading for a fall
The child she hears all of this
poor tiny little Miss
she should not hear these things
but still with me she happily sings
****
My Mother said good-bye today,
she turned around and walked away.
I want her here with me you know,
to love and care and comfort me.
I don't understand, where did she go
Its time for bed, I need her so
did she forget I’m scared at night?
I’m so small, what will I do?
I didn't mean to make you go
please come back; I'll be good
My Mother said Good-bye today.
****
I picked him up so he would have a life
and never know his parents strife.
I'll never forget the day his parent's let him go away
and didn’t seem to want him to stay.
I tuck him in say goodnight
walk away turn out the light
I wish for him sweet dreams, sleep tight
and wonder were mom is tonight
to say I don’t care would be telling a lie
but I know for this child I have to try
to see him safe, warm and fed
even tho seeing mom turns me red.
****
One dark dreary night
there was a big scary fright
Two kids to be taken
that were visibly shaken
Knocks on the door
Auntie almost fell on the floor
when the social workers said
will you take these kids and let them get ahead
Protect them and nurture them love day and night
to see them sleeping it was like looking at a dove
without flight
Di
National Convenor and the team.
E te Atua, aroha mai..... O God shower us with love
Ka kite
