Moments that Change Everything
When life changes in an instant, your kindness is there.
Donate today and help provide support and comfort to people like Joe*.
*Name changed to protect identity
Joe's Story: This Is All He Had With Him
An old knapsack.
A pair of worn leather sandals.
That was almost everything Joe had with him when he arrived at hospital.
After a life-changing injury, Joe faced a long recovery, an uncertain future, and nowhere stable to go when he left hospital. More than anything, he felt alone.
One day, Joe was sitting quietly in the hospital chapel.
Beside him sat the old knapsack that held almost everything he owned. His sandals rested on the floor nearby. It was there that a hospital chaplain introduced herself and began a conversation.
The simple meeting became the beginning of something much more.
Over the following weeks, the chaplain visited Joe regularly. At first, he was understandably cautious. Life had not always been kind to him, and trust does not come easily when you have experienced hardship.
But the chaplain kept showing up. She listened without judgement, giving him space to talk about the challenges he had faced and the uncertainty he was living with.
| She simply spent time with him.
As the weeks passed, Joe began to open up. The hospital chapel became a place where he could pause and reflect, finding moments of peace amid everything he was facing.
| "I feel really peaceful when we talk together" Joe said one day. "I wasn't feeling that before."
Joe's Story is Not Unique
Every day, patients and families across Aotearoa experience moments that change everything.
In these moments, people often feel overwhelmed and frightened.
While doctors and nurses care for the patient's physical needs, many people also need emotional and spiritual support. They need someone who can sit with them and listen, helping them navigate the challenges they face.
This is where hospital chaplains make such a difference.
Chaplains provide a compassionate, non-judgemental presence for patients and families during some of life's most difficult moments.
Without the generosity of supporters like you, many patients would face these moments alone.
What Your Gift Can Do
| Your gift can help chaplains continue to provide comfort, hope, and compassionate support to people like Joe.
$50
Helps ensure a chaplain can be present for a patient who is feeling anxious and alone.
$100
Enables chaplains to spend meaningful time listening to and supporting patients.
$250
Supports ongoing visits for patients navigating recovery, uncertainty, grief, or emotional distress.
