Daniel | Glen Eden
“I’m Daniel, and I live in Glen Eden, West Auckland. For me personally, I joined a group recently called Man Up, in Kelston Community Hub, and that’s really helped me.
I’ve made a few mates because you talk about issues rather than just random things. You actually talk, like, hey I’m going through some stuff. Then we’ll visit each other, check on each other, and that’s been really good for me personally, actually making relationships, not just; oh hey, oh good, how are you, yeah I’m good. But, actually talking, saying; nah I’m not good, and being able to open up and talk about things that are going on. So, for me, that’s been great and now I’m wanting to do the same for others as well. A friend recommended it, Wednesday at 7pm, I started going to that, at Kelston Community Hub. Going through things with my ex, after we split up, I didn’t really feel supported as a single father, and so found that really hard. Because there’s lots of support for mothers, which is great and there’s got to be support for them, but there was nothing really for me as a man. Then being able to talk to other guys going through similar things, or just different issues, and being able to open up and say, hey, I am finding it hard, you know? That was really helpful for me personally, just to have somewhere safe I could talk and not feel judged.
I grew up all over New Zealand, so travelled mainly over Te Ika a Māui, so the North Island, and I value honesty, and am liking what you guys are doing, because people being there for people, people generally caring, doing random acts of kindness, or doing what they can, makes a big difference in people’s lives. I remember things like that, and there are kids I meet that I used to teach when they were one or two. They’re 10 now, and they’ll still run up to me and give me a hug. So, it’s really great to be able to make a difference in their life as well.”
