Community Link NZ

01/09/2026

A huge thank you to our wonderful op shop volunteer Bev and the amazing ladies from her Activate Church life group, who are collecting groceries for our foodbank. Our GM Kylee recently had the privilege of meeting with the group and picking up their generous donation. Every item helps us provide essential food support to whānau connected to our youth services who are experiencing financial hardship. It's all part of the wraparound care we offer to help families navigate challenging times.

Last year, our foodbank provided more than 5,000 meals and food parcels to local families. We're incredibly grateful for the community support that makes this possible.

If you'd like to help keep our foodbank shelves fully stocked, grocery donations can be dropped off at Community Link Trust, 15-19 Ruakura Rd, between 10am and 2pm, Monday to Thursday.

18/08/2026

A huge thank you to Sport Waikato for sharing the story of our dedicated tinana wellbeing space, The Mana Factory - and for supporting this kaupapa through Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa funding.
We're incredibly proud of the positive impact this space is having in our community. 💙

What began as a few volunteer kickboxing sessions in a classroom has grown into something far bigger than anyone expected.

22/04/2026

We’re incredibly grateful to the SkyCity Community Fund for backing our mahi and helping us deliver intensive mentoring, education and wraparound support to at‑risk rangatahi and their whaanau last year👏 Their funding supported the wages of our mentoring team, enabling us to work alongside more than 235 young people and families to build safer, stronger futures.

The impact in 2025 exceeded expectations, with planned outcomes surpassed across six programmes. This support of generous funders like the SkyCity Community Fund helped us mentor students in local schools, provide alternative education and intensive mentoring for at-risk young people, support whole families through budget mentoring, and rehabilitate serious young offenders.

These results show what’s possible when community funders invest in long‑term, relationship‑based support. As we look to 2026, we remain committed to expanding this impact and continuing to bring confidence, hope and wellbeing to local rangatahi and whaanau.

24/03/2026

This kind of feedback reminds us why we do what we do 💚 By supporting individuals and families to take control of their finances, our financial mentoring service helps turn stress and uncertainty into confidence and hope. Watching people move from debt to savings is real, lasting change - and it strengthens our whole community.

10/02/2026

One of our key focuses for 2026 is the wellbeing of our staff and mentors 💚 They pour so much care, commitment, and emotional energy into their mahi - walking alongside rangatahi, believing in their potential, nurturing their strengths, and supporting them to become who they’re meant to be.

We know this work comes with real mental, emotional, and physical demands. That’s why we’re committed to investing in the right training, resources, and support to help our people thrive.

A huge thank you to Living Wisdom Australia Joan Koskela for an incredibly impactful training day. Joan’s facilitation was engaging, practical, and deeply grounded. She helped strengthen our team’s mental and emotional resilience, shared tools we can use straight away, and created space for honest reflection and growth.

This investment in our people sets us up for a year of deeper impact - supporting at‑risk youth and families and creating lasting, positive change across our community.

If you’re looking to build emotional resilience and wellbeing within your team, we highly recommend Joan. ✨

lives

22/12/2025

We were overwhelmed last week with the generosity of the gym members who surprised us with a substantial selection of toys and treats to top up our annual Christmas hamper drive.

BFT Hamilton East gym members and management donated 12 big bins filled with toys, kai, stationery, essential items and some thoughtful luxury extras. Every item will go directly to local individuals and families, helping to bring a sense of hope and joy at a time when things can feel especially tough.

We’re incredibly grateful to be supported by a local gym that is so invested in the wellbeing of its wider community. Contributions like this help ensure families feel seen, supported and not alone during the Christmas season.

Thank you to the BFT Hamilton East whānau for your kindness and generosity - it will be felt well beyond the gym walls this Christmas.

17/12/2025

A huge thank you 👏to Activate Church Hamilton for helping us deliver some much-appreciated hope and Christmas cheer to 130 individuals and 40 families - including babies, toddlers, primary school children, teenagers, parents and grandparents.

The Activate Church community generously donated funds and numerous bags of food treats and toys through the Christmas hamper drive they run each year with us. We’re extremely grateful to be able to share all those goodies with local individuals and families who are doing it tough.

We also extend a huge thanks to the individuals and businesses who supported us this year to bring hope and lasting positive change to local at-risk youth and families.

We wish everyone we work with and all our supporters a very merry Christmas🎅

25/11/2025

Our youth mentors are doing amazing work with some of the most high-risk and disengaged young people in our region. These rangatahi have often slipped through the cracks in education and social systems, carrying the weight of intergenerational trauma and big life challenges.

Our mentors do so much more than spend time with them. They bring young people into a hope-filled environment where they can heal, find support, and build a better future. They walk alongside them to work through trauma, move away from crime, re-engage with education, and rebuild connections with whaanau to restore identity and hope.

What really makes the difference is their consistency. Showing up even when youth don’t, standing by them through tough times, advocating for them, and going the extra mile has transformed many young lives.

Our mentors are ready to help even more rangatahi step into brighter futures - but they need more support to make it happen. If you’d like to be part of something that truly changes lives, please consider becoming a Change Driver donor.

✨ Make a monthly pledge or a one-off gift here:
👉 communitylinktrust.nz/changedriver