Pegasus Post: October 20, 2022

Thursday October 20 2022 5
The McMaster & Heap
family pets…..
VOLUNTEER: It Takes A Village Hub is struggling to meet the high
demand for consumable items like toothbrushes and nappies. The charity
has put together more than 500 bundles for babies and toddlers
since April.
PHOTO: BEA GOODING
Baby charity calls
out for donations
• By Natalie Pham
SOARING living
costs have driven a
“humongous” increase in
demand for baby supplies
at a charity.
It Takes A Village Hub
has put together more
than 500 bundles for
babies and toddlers in the
past six months.
At this rate, the charity
is on the way to hit the 800
mark “easily” by December.
Each baby and toddler
bundle contain essentials
– from a newborn child up
to five years old – including
clothing, bedding,
toiletries, toys and books.
However, included items
depend on stocks of donations.
The charity is struggling
to meet the demand for
consumable items like
toothbrushes and toothpaste,
nappies and wipes,
as they are one-off uses
and low in donation.
Co-director Danielle
Petterd said requests for
these items make up to 90
per cent of applications.
“An unexpected bill
could put families behind
for weeks. A bag of nappies
could cost up to $18
per week. So to be able
to put that money onto
power bills or pay off debts
are a huge things for our
families.”
The charity put together
more than 600 bundles
last year. Before the pandemic,
they used to do 20
bundles a month.
“(The) number of
families in need has
hugely increased since
Covid-19 and living costs
increased. It has just been
absolutely insane to see a
huge number of families
in need out there,” Petterd
said.
Latest figures in a new
ASB report show household
weekly living costs
are expected to increase
by $110 over the next 12
months, with two-thirds
of the cost from either
non-tradable goods/services
or debt servicing.
Petterd is urging people
to donate their baby clothing
so the charity can continue
to help struggling
families.
“Without donations like
these, we wouldn’t be able
to do what we do for the
families.”
The charity recently
cleared a wait list of
ten families in need of
newborn clothing. But
Petterd said people are still
coming through the door
asking for help.
The demand for baby
supplies also outgrew she
and co-director Jess Roberts’
garages.
Last year, with city
council help, they managed
to secure a commercial
premise in New
Brighton.
Petterd said in hindsight
it was funny to see how
they were able to fit all of
the items in their houses
for so long.
The charity was born in
2017 as a way to share baby
supplies and resources to
families that needed “a
little extra help”.
• For more info:
https://www.itav.org.
nz/home
So very pleased to introduce this little
guy….a 16 week old red Mandalay, who
we stumbled upon by accident. Number
four in the pet family. Undecided on name
as it has be unique and fitting for such
a clever, handsome boy.
Frontrunners are Romeo,
Claudius, Atticus, Titus or
just Charlie. He has slotted
into the McMasterHeap
family incredibly well,
introducing himself to both
dogs fearlessly and Maximus,
our big ginger DSH. He
is confident but sensible,
cuddly and gentle (he allows
the tummy rub), all in all
perfect for us. He’s already a
FB favourite.
I didn’t know much about
the Mandalay breed. It was
originally developed in NZL
in the 1970’s, a Burmese
mating to a Domestic Short
Haired cat.
Our Kittens lineage comes
from Australia in which
the initial cross was that
of a Burmese and a British
Shorthair. There were six
kittens in his litter and his dad
was a black Mandalay and his
mum a Burmese.
Next in the line up is our
overweight loveable
ginger cat Maximus. He
loves a good sleep, all
day in a sunny spot, at
night under the covers,
rarely seen patrolling the
section or working out.
Last week he was booked
in for a dental scale and
polish and full groom
out. He’s impossible to
attempt brushing his
teeth and he can’t eat
Prescription Diet Dental
dry due to being solely
on weight loss diet,
so regular dentistry is
required to keep his teeth and gums healthy.
He is primarily Dylan’s cat and sticks to Dylan
when he’s home. A loveable rogue who lives
the easy life.
Macy, our two and half year old Black
Labrador, is again “my dog”. Her keen
interests are sniffing out apples on our daily
walks, retrieving anything that is thrown,
swimming, and bodysurfing. She loves any
form of exercise and is so obedient she’s
walked off-leash everywhere. She hates
making a mistake. Most
days she’s seen either in
reception at McMaster
& Heap or pounding the
tracks and roads around
Hagley Park, several times
a day.
Our beautiful Lola turned
13 on 30th September.
She is nothing short of
an angel and adored by
most that know her. Again
a FB favourite. She’s in
great health considering
she is a kidney cancer
survivor. She can still
manage a good hour’s
walk everyday and a swim. She still
flies North on holiday with us and
is often seen consulting with me
in my consult room. She definitely
puts dogs at ease, calms the
anxious, fearful ones and socialises
with the puppies. She is the kindest
most gentle dog there is and we
are all better people having her in
our life.
I think four pets is a good
number to stop at for
now. We are very blessed
to have these precious
souls in our family.
Dr Michele McMaster
BUNDLES: The charity recently cleared a wait list of ten families in need
of newborn clothing.
Open 7 days Cnr Hoon Hay & Coppell place ph: 338 2534
e. reception@mcmasterandheap.co.nz www.mcmasterheap.co.nz