On Friday, March 23, the ANZ Bank’s Indian Networking Group (ING) – a diversity group of bank employees – collaborated with New Zealand Police, in an initiative seeking to give back to the community.
The initiative was about giving a helping hand to tidy up Gandhi Niwas – a community project based in South Auckland - that provides emergency housing facility, counselling and social services to men who have been involved in family harm.
Gandhi Niwas is a community project involving close cooperation between the New Zealand Police (Counties Manukau, South Auckland), Nirvana Foundation, and Sahaayata Counselling and Social Support group.
Every year, the ING team of the ANZ Bank participates in the ‘ANZ in the Community’ initiative to give back to the community.
The annual ‘ANZ in the Community’ campaign encourages ANZ employees to volunteer their skills and time to community groups they have a passion for and can donate one work day each year to help in the community.
Each year ANZ staff collectively volunteer approximately 15,000 hours helping local communities in New Zealand.
Last year the ING team of the ANZ Bank had painted the exterior of Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust community centre at Mt Roskill, and this year they have gone to clean and tidy up the Gandhi Niwas as part of their community initiative.
Toward this initiative a group of bank employees from the ING team, and police officials from the Counties Manukau came together in Gandhi Niwas on Friday, March 23, to collectively clean, tidy up and eventually paint the outside of the building in blue.
Speaking about this initiative, Rani Nallam, an employee of the Bank told the Indian Weekender, “Our mission is to leverage the diversity of the Bank’s Indian Networking Group as a point of competitive advantage in the market and to align with the overall aim to be New Zealand’s best Bank.
“This year we contacted with Ranjana Patel of Nirvana Foundation, who presented with a fantastic opportunity to help clean their community centre Gandhi Nivas, which provides counselling and temporary accommodation.”
Explaining the rationale behind this initiative by the ANZ Bank, Hetal Jani, Indian Networking Group Lead told the Indian Weekender “The Bank’s ING team was founded over a decade ago by staffs from different areas of the Bank, both from frontline and head office, with a primary objective to build and continue promoting awareness in the local community.
“ANZ is a diverse organisation which has staff that understands Indian languages and culture, making it easier for the Indian communities to relate to the bank, which in turn promotes better customer experiences that we strive to continually improve.”
Speaking more about the Gandhi Niwas and how ING team from the ANZ Bank offered the opportunity, Ranjana Patel of Nirvana Foundation said, “This is going to be the third home for Gandhi Niwas after Otahuhu and Te Atatu which started last week.
“Police has been big drivers in the Gandhi Niwas project, which is really amazing.
“When ANZ team offered me with this opportunity I took it straight away,” Ms Patel said.
Inspector Anthony Wakelin, Area Prevention Manager of Counties Manukau South, who was leading his men in blue in the paint in the blue campaign at Gandhi Niwas told the Indian Weekender, “We are supporting Gandhi Niwas. Obviously, we want them in our area (Papakura), which covers the entire area from Pokeno to Takanini.
“It’s great to have so many people out here helping the boys (policemen).
“I think this place will be ready in next couple of weeks,” Inspector Wakelin said.
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