16 Tuesday <strong>June</strong> <strong>28</strong> <strong>2016</strong> WESTERN NEWS Your Local Views Have a heart for the homeless LAWyerS We have over 40 years’ experience to assist you with… • Buying and Selling Houses and Commercial Property • Wills, Trusts and Estate matters • All issues facing you and your business; • Employment Law matters; • Traffic matters; • Earthquake related issues; and • Advice regarding Retirement Villages Call John, Brendan or Andrew today on 03 366 8996 to find out how we can help you. Email. lawyers@mclegal.co.nz Airport Business Park 92 Russley Road Christchurch 8042 Riccarton- Wigram Community Board member Debbie Mora discusses ways of helping the homeless MANY OF us have a heart for the homeless. I have learnt not to judge anyone’s circumstances, lest we be judged ourselves, but to at least help others to the best of our ability. To whom much is given, much is expected, is not only biblical but also an act of being socially responsible. Many organisations are taking • Mark Thomas -Fire Risk Management Officer I WAS woken by a phone call about 11pm last Monday from a friend who lives on the opposite side of the city. She was concerned because her daughter, who lives next door, had an unusual burninglike smell in her home that could not be traced. She didn’t know what to do and didn’t want to bother this issue seriously and already assisting the homeless here. I feel we could always do more. Why is it that we want our bus users to be warm waiting for a bus in our new bus shelters during their 5-10min wait while others do not even have shelters at all for a home 24/7. I would love to see a very simple solution albeit temporary to at least keep them together and covered as winter fast approaches. For example, the news recently showed maraes up north paving the way, reaching out to immediate need where need is not presently met. This allows a one-stop shop for others to contribute clothing, bedding, bathroom facilities, food Don’t wait, phone 111 the Fire Service. I told her to ring 111 immediately. They did. Harewood’s fire appliance arrived and found a downlight in the ceiling was covered by inappropriately placed insulation. The heat from the lamp could not escape. The fibreglass insulation and associated dust was getting hotter and hotter. There probably wouldn’t FLAME FILES have been a fire if it had been left. But there might have been. We get lots of calls to false alarms. People smell smoke and ring up when there’s a fire in North Canterbury that’s 50km from their house and when a nor’wester is howling. Others report smoke swirling on a cold winter’s night which turns out to be mist. We never complain, because and job offers. I would like something similar here in the city. A central point to keep their social interaction together and offers the needed help in practical ways. I have spoken with founder, and primary carer and facilitator of Help for the Homeless Amy Burke who agrees we need core facilities for those living in cars, yet she has struck red tape when trying to arrange this for the homeless. I would love to see an immediate response that at the very least opens the use of our community facilities – become available for showers for our homeless without red tape. What a difference it would make also if we could use the vacant halls in the east with bathroom and kitchen facilities now empty and not used, yet red tape again stops our ability to help others. Help for the Homeless facebook link https://www.facebook.com/HelpfortheHomelessChristchurch/ I will leave you with this saying: “A community is judged by the way it treats its most vulnerable”. all of us would prefer to go to 10 false alarms like this rather than not be called to the one that escalates enough to kill someone in their sleep. If you’ve ever wondered ‘should I call the Fire Service?’ Yes – do it. On the other hand, a colleague in this office called in a car fire the other day when out in traffic. Turned out to be steam. Now he’s fair game. NEW DEVELOPMENT NOW LEASING! Opening in late 2017, STAGE 5 will now deliver a stunning new open plan contemporary retail centre featuring a combination of over twenty new high quality, unique and exclusive retail stores, islands and kiosks situated in a relaxed fresh and modern environment providing a unique selection of goods and products that will appeal to a very modern and sophisticated demograph. 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WESTERN NEWS Tuesday <strong>June</strong> <strong>28</strong> <strong>2016</strong> 17