ElderLink New Zealand Blog Update: Approaching 6 Months, A Look Back at Our Journey So Far
Approaching 6 Months: A Look Back at Our Journey So Far
ElderLink New Zealand | 24 July 2025
As we approach our six-month milestone, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the journey since our launch in early February. Founded on a mission to provide care and support for Marlborough's over-65s, ElderLink was inspired by the advocacy of our founder’s grandparents. The past several months have been defined by rapid growth, heartfelt connections, and the incredible generosity of our community.
Inspired by family, for our community.
Our Foundation of Supporters
We simply could not do this work without our sponsors. From the very beginning, we were humbled by the immediate support of our first two sponsors, Mitre10 Mega Marlborough, who provided account credits for food parcel items, and Tō Tātou Kainga, whose financial support was critical during our startup phase. They were soon joined by an incredible group of businesses, nonprofits, and individuals, including Good Bitches Baking, who provide weekly baked goods, and Lucas Lima of ThinkTomorrow.AI, who volunteers his digital marketing skills. We are also deeply grateful to our individual donors like Carole O'Neill and Leo Neal. More recently, we've been thrilled to welcome Lord of the Cleans, a financial donor from Christchurch, and FreshChoice Renwick, who are collecting and packing food donations, helping us expand our reach. Spring Creek Four Square is kindly hosting one of ElderLink's food donation drop bins in their store.
Connecting With Our Community
Sharing our story in the Blenheim Sun.We’ve learned so much from our clients in this time. A recurring theme is the immense pride and independence of our seniors; many feel hesitant to ask for help, not wanting to be a burden on others. We’ve seen how a single unexpected expense, like a car battery for a son, can set a pensioner back for weeks. We want to reassure everyone that ElderLink exists for this very reason. With the rising cost of living, times are hard for everybody, and it is our privilege to offer support. Often, we are alerted to a person's need by a concerned family member or neighbour, and the overwhelming community response has shown that Marlborough is full of people who care.
Sharing our mission with the wider community has been vital, and we thank Paula Hulburt and the Blenheim Sun for featuring a case study on our work, which helped highlight the complex challenges our seniors can face.
Strengthening Our Structure and Reach
Community fundraising is vital to our work.In June, our AGM saw the formal establishment of our full Board of Trustees and a strategic vote to refine our operations into a delivery-first model. This focus has allowed us to begin branching out into the satellite towns of Marlborough. A recent highlight was expanding our support into Renwick, where trustee Maria van Kuyk has been passionately advocating for the community. We had a wonderful morning meeting residents at the two blocks of pension flats and identifying needs in the area. This expansion is made possible by grassroots support from local businesses, and we are grateful to Four Square in Spring Creek for hosting a food donation bin and to the team at FreshChoice Renwick for collecting four boxes of food for our clients.
The Road Ahead
Building an intergenerational community of care.While our food assistance services continue to grow, our ability to expand into other key areas is awaiting the final step in our registration with Charities Services. The process has now taken nearly six months, well beyond the anticipated 12 weeks. We are not impressed with the delay, as it impacts our ability to fulfil all aspects of our charitable purpose. For example, we cannot continue the application process with New Zealand Police to conduct vulnerable persons checks without our charity number. This is why we have not yet been able to place volunteers into client homes for welfare checks and social catchups over a cuppa. It also means our donors cannot yet claim tax credits—something we know some are waiting for. Despite this administrative hurdle, we remain overwhelmingly hopeful and are in communication with the department to resolve it soon.
Looking forward, our goal is to continue this expansion. We are setting our sights on bringing our services to Picton in the north, as well as to communities in the southern parts of the region. The last few months have shown what is possible when a community comes together, and we are incredibly grateful for every donation, volunteer hour, and word of encouragement. Thank you, Marlborough!
