Methodist Mission Southern: Transformative Journeys of Nurturing Hope.

The support offered within our Young Mums’ House and Youth Transition Houses is more than just practical assistance; it's a testament to our staff, funders, and donors/supporters of the power of uplifting rakatahi through generosity, kindness, and thoughtfulness, which permeates every interaction, creating an environment where growth and healing flourish.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life—juggling work, education, and wellbeing goals—residents find moments of triumph in the normal. Cooking meals for the household can be an experience of nurturing, while completing laundry requires responsibility and independence. For one recent resident, buying their own car unlocked a newfound sense of freedom and of the choices that are the rewards for longer-term efforts in life, like saving.

Recognizing the profound benefit of simple collective experiences; for mutual support and growth, for normalisation, for the nourishment of laughter and shared experiences; life in the houses includes Lego challenges and movie days, and well-being activities including trips to the gym. These are not only distractions as the season changes, daylight wanes, and the weather turns colder, but opportunities for connection and solidarity. Through shared experiences and conversations, residents are able to practice building mutual support.

The poem by the Saint Lucian poet and playwright Derek Walcott resonates with a canvas of hope that we wish our rakatahi residents to have.

LOVE AFTER LOVE

The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Our rakatahi continue to thrive and are paving the way for a brighter, more hopeful future—for themselves, our Young Mums’ and their children, and generations to come.

This transformative journey is made possible through the generous support of our donors, both through physical donations and monetary contributions. Their kindness and generosity empower our residents to rewrite their stories and embrace self-worth, creating a nurturing environment where growth and healing flourish.

Please join The Methodist Mission Southern Supporters’ Club.

Be part of our story, our work, and our community.

Contact Julie: julier@mmsouth.org.nz