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Nau mai ki te Whare Āwhina o 155

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā iwi ō te motu. Tēnei te mihi aroha ki ā koutou katoa.

We are a Kaupapa Māori provider of wraparound support services for whānau in Taitokerau. 

You can find us at our hubs across Whangārei and in Kaikohe - so come in for a cuppa and explore your future options.

Kia Ora

155 Whare Āwhina is a place where you and your whānau are valued, respected and accepted for who you are. 

We are community advocates, lawyers and social workers here to help you and your whānau. We provide free legal advice through our 155 Community Law centres in Whangārei and Kaikohe, can help with whānau support, WINZ, housing, and are here to support anyone who is homeless with shelter at our 155 Open Arms day centre. 

Our social supermarket, 155 Whare Kai, provides food support with dignity, and our friendly team at 155 Open Arms serves free meals twice a day, six days a week. 

Kia Ora | 155 Whare Awhina |  Help for your whanau in Northland

So come in to our whare for a cuppa and explore your future options with us.

Karere ō te wā | Latest news

Free Evening Legal Clinics

We're excited to be co-hosting regular free evening legal clinics in partnership with Ngāti Hine Health Trust.  Anyone is welcome to come along to have your legal questions answered or if you areRead more

Cyclone Gabrielle: How we're operating

CLOSED - Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 February Te Renga Paraoa marae is providing shelter for much of our Open Arms community. Our team will be onsite at the marae assisting with security and housingRead more

Second place for 155 at Waka Ama corporate challenge

The team kicked off 2023 with a silver medal win at the Waka Ama Sprint Nationals at Lake Karaprio in January.  It was a last minute decision to participate in the Waka Ama Corporate Challenge, withRead more

How we're operating over the holidays

Most of our services will be closed from Saturday 24 December to Friday 13 January. If you need kai or support over this period, please come and visit our 155 Open Arms day centre on Robert St. ItRead more

Support us this Christmas

We're expecting demand for our services to rise over the Christmas holidays with more pressure on already-stretched whānau to feed tamariki at home from school and navigate the costs of the festiveRead more

Couch in central Whangārei puts spotlight on homelessness

Monday 10 October was World Homeless Day so we placed a couch outside 155 Open Arms to raise awareness of the taitamariki across Taitokerau facing homelessness. Read the full story in the NorthernRead more

Introducing 155 Whare Kai, A Social Supermarket For Whangārei

The social supermarket is a partnership between 155 Whare Āwhina and Foodstuffs North Island. Social supermarkets enable people who are experiencing food insecurity to choose what they need forRead more

Seeking Whakaora Kai - Food Rescue Support Volunteers

Whakaora Kai - Food Rescue is the only organisation of its kind in Taitokerau, collecting surplus food from growers and retailers and giving it to groups that need it most, including food banks,Read more

Whangārei’s first social supermarket set to open

As part of its commitment to be Here for NZ and a promise to provide New Zealanders with access to healthy affordable food and supporting communities to thrive, Foodstuffs North Island – the 100% NRead more

Join us at the 6th Annual Affordable Housing Development & Investment Summit | 30-31 August

Liz is an aspirational leader who is inspired by and constantly learning from those who walk through our doors here at 155.  Visitors are always welcomed with open arms and Liz says it is whānauRead more

Kaikohe Hub Volunteer

Location Kaikohe Hub, 119 Broadway, Kaikohe, 0405 Hours 10am to 2pm on either Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays. Are you friendly and able to get along with others and work as part of a team asRead more

Meet our whānau: Carol Peters

Carol is our Community Development Coordinator whose ties to 155 run deep; she is 155's former  coordinator who has been involved with 155 since its infancy.  Her desire to contribute toRead more

Every year:

1300+

Requests for legal support are received

126

Tonnes of unwanted food is diverted from landfill

269

Housing needs assessments are completed

9500+

Visits are welcomed at 155 Open Arms

820

Food parcels are distributed

If there's a gap, 155 will fill it

"155 is a place where people can come in and have a cup of tea and a chat. No problem is too tough, hard, too big or too small. There’s always a listening ear and a keenness to see people well and safe. There’s courageousness too. If there’s a gap, 155 will fill it."

- Shirlyanne Brown, 155 Community Development Project Manager

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