Testimonials
The following testimonials are copied from the body of real letters. If you would like to request access to the original, letterhead, documents, please email our team on [email protected].
Hora Hora School"The Miriam Centre continues to be our life saver and I use those words accurately. When we have tried to get help for some of our children ... I ring the Miriam Centre, and the help is instant. Never a query about what cost centre, or budget allocation, they just come. Currently we have a number of children receiving "grief counselling" as a result of traumatic incidents etc. from the Miriam Centre. They come to school and quietly and unobtrusively provide this service. I used the term lifesaver quite truthfully because the children being helped are at the very tight end of abusive experiences and literally showing all the symptons of eventually heading towards suicide or incarceration. I totally support the Miriam Centre because their total support in putting our kdis back together again, is unequivocal." Pat Newman, 2015 Hikurangi School "1. I needed to put in writing my support for the Miriam Centre. 2. They are my "go to people" whenever I need fast professional help for one of my children and or whanau that is in crisis. 3. They have NEVER let me down. 4. This has been the case for the last 15 years. 5. When discussing Patsy and the Miriam Centre, the service that she provides the following words and phrases are synonomous with them, Professional, respected, trustworthy, service driven, person focused, walk the talk, underfunded, truthful, reliable, discrete, and on and on. 6. They are always there even when they financially should say no. Have I mentioned that they are underfunded. I find that amazing given the proven track record of both Patsy and the centre. 7. There are other similar agencies around Whangarei who say they provide a similar service but in my experience (15 years) they do not meet the gold standard set by Patsy and the Miriam Centre so I no longer waste my time going to them." Bruce Crawford, 2015 |
Whangarei Intermediate"I am very happy to be writing a reference for the Miriam Centre. They do outstanding work in our community.
I worked with the Miriam Centre team as principal of Whangarei Intermediate. Some of our children and their families were in devastatingly desperate situations. Trying to support them and find positive pathways forward was extremely difficult. The Miriam Centre provided a wraparound service that dealt holistically with the child and the family. Unlike other services, their help was a phone call away, and they responded quickly. I have nothing but praise for the excellent staff they had on their team. The Miriam Centre really makes a positive difference to the lives of the people they work with" Kim Wilkinson, 2015 Kamo Intermediate School Our school works very closely with the Miriam Centre both in referring students for support and counselling and also their families. Some of our students are supported with in-school sessions and, one day a week, we are fortunate enough to have a counsellor that comes into school to work with boys who have some serious and deep set issues that hinders their ability to progress socially and academically. We also have many students who work with counsellors from the Miriam Centre outside school hours. We could not function without the service that the Miriam Centre provides. They are in huge demand and are stretched and seriously under resourced. I cannot praise the work that they do and the effect that they have highly enough. In all honesty, I do not know what we would do without them. Any and all support you can give to this organisation will be gratefully received by the whole community and will be well used." Jo McIntyre-Brown, 2016 |
Oturu School"The Miriam Centre is more effective than all our other youth at risk services put together! In support of the Miriam Centre I have to say that I have never seen such results in 6 months as I have seen since we have been able to get this counselling service. I have been principal for over 15 years. We have had 3 students completely metamorposed and their lives turned around and there is another small group waiting for their turn. This service has been more effective than CYF, social worker in schools, RTLB, Public Health Nurse and SES all put together! We have had the benefit of a qualified counsellor working steadily through issues with some of our students that have had such high deprivation they have been unable to fit within a classroom at all, let alone learn! I have watched these children over time develop self-esteem, confidence and empathy to the extent that their learning has been accelerated way beyond normal progress. We are seeing students who at one time would have ended up institutionalised, becoming successful functioning members of our school community, and on track for life!
We are a decile 1A school with more than our share of students exposed to murder, abuse, family violence and poverty. The effectiveness of the service to the community that is provided by The Miriam Centre is miraculous! Fraser Smith, 2016 |
Tai Tokerau Principals Association"In our district we can see the benefits of the work done by the Miriam Centre in providing the support needed by children, youth and their families and that can make a difference in changing the way these disaffected and disenfranchised people view themselves and so become functional members of their communities." David Hain, 2013
Mangakahia Area School "I have worked within schools as a leader of pastoral care for over 25 years. During this time I have had either directly or indirectly working with students many interactions with the Miriam Centre. The work of the Miriam Centre is held in the highest regard by educational professionals and certainly by me. I am in no doubt that the specialist services that you are able to provide are both a unique and invaluable resource for schools in meeting the needs of our most vulnerable students. Indeed when the most acute needs are identified it is the Miriam Centre that is often the best placed to meet these needs. I wish you every success in continuing and extending the work that you do to address the burgeoning needs emerging from individuals and communities who are hurt and in crisis." Phil Reynolds (letter not dated) |
