MSD Community Connection Service
As part of MSD’s Community Connection Service, we’re helping support disabled people through the effects of COVID. We connect them with a wide range of funding pathways, such as flood and storm support. We also help responsibly administer funds, put together regular reports, and make sure real people’s stories are heard.
This partnership has seen our services expand from South Auckland to the entire region. Helping us support as many as 300 disabled people and their whānau, and growing our COVID assistance capacity.
Through whānaungatanga, rich experience and cross-sector connections, we’re honoured to be able to help disabled people work through the urgent challenges that COVID raises.
Jayvee’s Story
COVID hit Jayvee’s family hard. Even after their isolation period, his wife and younger daughter, who has autism, still felt unwell. Although he knew there were COVID-related supports out there, when it came to asking for help, Jayvee just didn’t know where to start.
When Jayvee and his family first started navigating disability supports for their daughter, we were there for them. So he found it easy to open up to us about his family’s need for an extra hand. We gave Jayvee a much-needed listening ear, then we told him about our Community Connection Service. Jayvee breathed a big sigh of relief. And then another, when he found out that – just like all our other services – it’s totally free.
Together, we found the right doors to open Jayvee’s family up to the supports and services they needed. Like help accessing food and petrol vouchers, and support paying their power bill.
Jayvee told us that during a time of hardship, the assistance was a much-needed lifeline.
Let’s connect
To talk to us about new partnership opportunities, reach out to our development team.