Breaking the stigma around men’s mental health 

With the effervescent Krissy Mackintosh at the helm, #Hear4U provide a fresh and innovative approach to community wellbeing through the alternative pathways they offer in comparison to regular government funded mental health strategies. 

In our annual funding round #Hear4U received a grant from the Bob and Aileen Harris fund, which was put towards awhi (care) packs they distributed after Cyclone Gabrielle, and the remaining funds towards their new headquarters. 

“The purpose of our awhi packs is to assist the physiological needs of hardworking whanau who often don’t qualify for financial support for various reasons. Lots of our packs went out to rural blokes around Tiniroto and Matawai, as well as lots of the forestry sector guys,” says Krissy. 

“So many of them got missed in that support space after the cyclone – it’s quite traumatic thinking back now to what they went through and how many of them got missed.” 

#Hear4U distributed an impressive $300k worth of donated goods and funds last year in the form of food, clothing and anything else that was dropped at their headquarters.  With the support of Gisborne Rescue Helicopter Trust, awhi packs consisting of mental health resources, “morale boosting” kai, merchandise, and basic food essentials were delivered to whanau who had lost their homes, jobs and hope. 

“We’ve had record numbers of primary industry workers signing up for counselling and fitness challenges since the cyclone.  A huge thanks to Sunrise for helping us support and keep working with people who need us,” says Krissy.