Heading into a new year can be a daunting time with financial and social stresses coming from all directions; yet there is support available in our community to help you through.

‘Here to help u' is a free service that offers stress-free and barrier-free social and wellbeing support – assisting people with any kind of struggles they may be facing. Launching in response to Covid-19 in 2020, 'Here to help u' has provided support to more than 120,000 people here in the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato region.

'It's important to reach out as soon as you need any wellbeing support so that we can get the right help to you at the right time,” says 'Here to help u' Tauranga connector Sarah Baldock.

The community organisation is predicting there will be higher demand for their services this year compared to 2022.

'The need for free wellbeing and social support will be driven by several factors including the cost-of-living crisis, increasing food costs, the impact of inflation on all essential items and costs, increasing mortgage and borrowing rates, and people and whānau unwell or isolating due to Covid.”

With their smart tech request system, 'Here to help u' ensures that no one falls through the gaps and have their needs met.

'Often people or whānau may request only food support because they are not aware of the wide range of other free support they can get.”

'Here to help u' also connects people to general support such as budgeting and financial, mental health, advocacy, employment, child and youth support.

'It can be daunting to ask for help for the first time and asking for help feels very vulnerable and very scary. It can feel like failure. Often people think that there are other people who need help more.”

The stress is taken away when people are supported by the compassionate and non-judgemental team, says Sarah.

'Often after finally reaching out for help people say that they wished they had asked for help sooner to avoid being stressed and to avoid going without food, mental health, budgeting or other support for longer than they needed to.”

'Here to help u' give special thanks to more than 270 community providers that make supporting one another here in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato possible. If you, your whānau or anyone you know needs any free wellbeing or social support at any time, go to: www.heretohelpu.nz

Alternatively, if you do not have online access you can leave a message on freephone: 0800 568 273.