Tāmaki Budgeting
Tāmaki Budgeting is building our community resilience in a sustainable way by, sign-posting the debt traps, unraveling the complications of past financial decisions, and celebrating the individual resourcefulness of our clients.
Alyson de Marco
Alyson de Marco from Tāmaki Budgeting joined the team in 2014. Tāmaki Budgeting started back in 1979, and was previously known as East Auckland Home and Budgeting Services. Their name changed to reflect what the community wanted.
Her first introduction to HEART was by a group of lovely people (Change Agents), coming into the office with varying posters that they wanted to display for all sorts of things that meant something to their organisation. Because the office was so cluttered, when Alyson took over, she banished posters and all sorts of things from the office that didn’t inspire people creating financial independence, or looking for financial security. When new people came in with posters, Alyson’s team was always embarrassed and would say, ‘you have to speak to the boss about that’. Everything that came from the HEART Movement was all linked to what Tāmaki Budgeting was all about. A lot of creative projects around family violence, family security, and looking after young people in the community. Alyson spoke of how all those things have something to do with finances, or finances has a lot to do with those things. A lot of family arguments, that can lead to violence is about money. This is where the relationship with HEART developed and has now become family.
Alyson’s role has evolved over the years. When she first started, her role was to manage the organization and she is still responsible for this role. Her role is also to champion her phenomenal team of experts as a cheerleader. There has been a lot of evolution over the years, and Alyson knows that her team at Tāmaki Budgeting is super amazing!
Alyson believes that ‘what people think and have done in the past, is the right thing to do. There is no such thing as broken people, we are all whole people who have hit stumblings blocks along the way.’ She also believes that ‘there is no such thing as a bad financial decision. The decisions we make financially, all of us, whether you’ve got a heap of money or whether you’ve got no money, the financial decisions we make are the best decisions for that moment.’ Looking back and saying “I shouldn’t have done it, I shouldn’t have done it”.. is ridiculous. If you went back, you wouldn’t change it.’ Alyson believes that our jobs are not to change the past, but to sort out options that people could have for their future. Alyson is such an outstanding creative around financial security and independence. Her love for community truly shows!
The relationship between Tāmaki Budgeting and HEART has drawn closer over covid. Tāmaki Budgeting moving to the center has made it more accessible to the community. People can drop in, grab a coffee. Sometimes members of the community do go in just to grab a coffee. Tāmaki Budgeting believes in the importance of building trust, and a relationship with the community. They have learned about their organisations’ resilience, and so much more about the people in the community who also work with people in the community.
Over lockdown Tāmaki Budgeting has been heavily active in the community, supporting the community with financial problems and decisions. Tāmaki Budgeting looks forward to reconnecting with the community after COVID. Money Mates and Eat Smart are just two of the amazing programs led by Tāmaki Budgeting. Bringing the value of life experiences, respect, and equality in the community, making everyone who takes part in any financial program with Tāmaki Budgeting, feel seen and heard.
Alyson loves the diversity in HEART, and that it’s 100% inclusive. She has disagreed with things from the HEART Movement, and never felt shouted down because she said it. For her, that’s incredibly important. Everyone is open to listening to a different point of view. She also loves the fact that nobody says at HEART, ‘we’re going to solve these problems, what they say is, these are the topics that we are going to support, are there any other topics?’ She absolutely loves the inclusive feelings that HEART brings to the community.
A fun fact about Alyson is that she studied and practiced ninjitsu, and was pretty good. Alyson expressed that although she may look like an old lady, she still thinks she’s a ninja inside.
Words of advice: “Be grateful. The key to happiness is being grateful. That catchphrase I deserve it.. do you analyze it? Wake up grateful for all the things and thoughts you have. When I go to bed at night, I go through all the wonderful things that I’m thankful for. It includes family, friends, living in a country that looks after people. “There are always people there that will criticize or tell you that you didn’t get your fair share. If you’re grateful for what you have and give thanks, people will respond and love you, and you will find genuine happiness. There is absolute happiness in thankfulness.”