About Us
Ko Whitireia te Maunga
Ko Parirua te Moana
Ko Ngāti Toa te Iwi
Te Korowai Aroha Whānau Services has been in Porirua since 1993 when it first established as Te Korowai Aroha Whitireia. We were one of the founding tenants of the Porirua Community Services Building, Pember House. The idea of Te Korowai Aroha Whānau Services first came about as a result of a group of concerned Māori counsellors at Marriage Guidance (MG). They believed that MG wasn't meeting the needs of their Māori client base, so they began the process of creating regional community organisations run for Māori by Māori. As a result, Te Korowai Aroha Whitireia became an independent organisation that disaffiliated from its training and education body, Te Korowai Aroha Aotearoa, in 1998. We then renamed ourselves in 2000 to Te Korowai Aroha Whānau Services in order to better reflect the services we provide for all families/whānau, and changed from an incorporated society to a registered trust.
Our Values
Te Korowai Aroha Whānau Services is a kaupapa Māori, whānau-led organisation based in the community of Porirua (with a site also in Kaitāia). We believe wellbeing for Māori is about identity, culture and connection to whānau and wider relational contexts.
The concept of relationship is universal to all, and we believe that our wellness and wellbeing are strengthened through the positive connections we as people establish and maintain. Māori values and culture are central to our Te Korowai Aroha Whānau Services approach and we promote:
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Whakamana te Whānau
(Enabling the Whānau)
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Atawhaia ngā Tamariki
(Nurturing the Child/ren)
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Whakatipuria ngā Tāngata
(Developing People)
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Paiheretia
(Weaving Māori strengths into everyday living)
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Pupuritia to Māoritanga
(Maintaining who you are)
Our Vision
The outcomes pursued by Te Korowai Aroha Whānau Services are:
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That individuals and families are appropriately resourced in their respective roles;
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That people are able to identify their issues and be supported towards positive and sustainable change;
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That the organisation operates in an effective, efficient and accountable manner.
Our Mission
"Mā te korowai aroha koe e manaaki"
(The cloak of love will support you)
The purpose and strategic focus of Te Korowai Aroha Whānau Services is:
To support whānau to support themselves through a kaupapa Māori approach to community service.
Te Korowai Aroha Whānau Services are guided by the following āta/principles:
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Āta Whakaaro
We affirm our status as a taurahere community organisation and acknowledge Ngāti Toa as the Mana Whenua of Porirua. We respect whānau for their need to access our services and through our capacity to provide ongoing and long-term support.
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Āta Haere
In this line of work, staff strive to be honest and congruent in all dealings with people. Our aim is for our actions to match our words. We are guided by a code of ethics and the kaupapa of the organisation.
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Āta Whakarongo
It’s the little things that make the mahi special for staff. A smile of recognition from whānau, a picture drawn by tamariki or a graduation of participants from our group programme, all constitute the simplicity of our approach. People matter to Te Korowai Aroha Whānau Services.