Tāmaki Community Development Trust - Roxanne Adams
Tāmaki Community Development Trust is a social support service for whānau and community. This service includes: advocacy, long-term mentoring, specialised counselling for children, life-skills development and parenting support, enabling families to be self-determining and aspirational. Their service delivery is culturally appropriate and effective. Established in September 1995, the Trust works with families and children in the communities of Pt England, Panmure and Glen Innes. Their vision is to see a community of people who are educated, employed, empowered and reaching their potential.
Kō Imiimi tōku maunga
Kō Pūpuke tōku Awa
Kō Māmaru tōku waka
Kō Te Huia tōku marae
Kō Ngātitahawai me Ngātiururoa ōku hapu
Kō Ngātikahu me Ngāpuhi ōku Iwi
Kõ Roxanne Ngaronoa Adams tōku ingoa
Nō reira tēna koutou kātoa
Raised in Moerewa by her Grandmother alongside Siri, Roxanne was brought up in a three bedroom house with twenty one people. All extended family, neighbours, and friends. She is now currently living in Auckland, with her husband, three children, and all her mokopuna.
Roxy is the Kaiatawhai / Kaimahi-ā-iwi - Social Worker, and has been with TCDT for 11 years. She supports the community and whānau with gardening, cooking, budgeting, WINZ and hospital appointments, advocacy and whatever the need is to support the whānau in the community she is working with.
Roxy’s first involvement with HEART was when she was approached by Cristy. The HEART kaupapa and involvement grew from there. Roxy took it back to the TCDT board and the relationship with HEART bloomed. Roxy has worked with a lot of families who have gone through family violence in the community and continues to advocate for safer homes in the community.
Over the years, Roxy has continued to support, invite, and involve whānau she works alongside to be involved with HEART BBQ’s and events. Roxy was successful in her Community Action Fund application
to support umpiring opportunities and growth for youth, and young mums in the community. Like Siri mentioned, Roxy loves how the training HEART provides has been mana enhancing, empowering and a professional development opportunity for Social Workers, as well the community. Roxy shares how she has witnessed the change in the home and how HEART evolves and continues to strengthen her mahi
and what she stands for.
What Roxy would you like to see more from HEART is as professionals, the closure of uplifts in the community. Roxy believes that uplifts are caused by addiction and mental health issues. Roxy has seen firsthand the trauma this places on families. She would also like to see more involvement from police with HEART. As community workers, finding those barriers and advocating for our whānau and community more
is crucial, now more than ever. Roxy believes that coming up with solutions together on how we can fix those conversations, to find the best wellbeing for tamariki in their whare should be considered.
Fun fact about Roxy is she loves rotten corn... it’s Māori porridge to her and it is a delicacy!
Words of advice: “Be available to listen, and just listen. Don’t speak. Let others say what they need to say, without interruption, because they’re telling you their story. Maybe after it, if you can see that they need a hug, give them a hug, but ask them first. Know that it’s a privilege for you to receive that story. Give that space for whānau to tell it, how they want to tell it, and you can treasure their story.”
Click through to the website for Tāmaki Community Development Trust for more information on this Partner Organisation of the HEART Movement.
