Supplied Content (Edited)
Auckland, April 3, 2018
New Zealanders, who are always looking for a great way to do good, will find a new visionary online platform useful.
Called, Swathe.me, it helps people to support loved ones and others who are experiencing unexpected health or life challenges.
Personal experience
The initiative was developed by Co-Founders Janey and Andrew Carr in response to a personal crisis. One of their friends was diagnosed with leukaemia and spent nine months in hospital.
Despite having a great support network and any number of offers to help, they witnessed a significant impact that their friend’s cancer treatment had on his family.
During that experience, they identified a real need for delivering additional emotional, financial, and practical support for the day-to-day practicalities of acute and chronic illness or disability.
Strong Partnership
Operating in partnership with the Perpetual Guardian Foundation, Swathe.me is a charitable entity designed to make it easy and practical for people to respond to that always-asked question, ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’
Free and User-Friendly
Mr Carr said, “Everything we do at Swathe.me makes every day better for those experiencing difficult times. We make it easy to give practical support to someone you know during their time of need, even when you can’t be there in person. Our direct support platform is free and simple to use, so that together we can make a difference every day.”
Ms Carr said that anyone can choose from a list of everyday things to offer support.
“It could be preparing a meal, doing the laundry, or mowing the lawn. Then you share your list with your family and friends next time they ask, ‘What can I do to help?’ This lets them know how they can help in a way that actually makes a difference,” she said.
Prepaid Card
Swathe.me has been set up to enable charitable giving to those in need through the ‘Swathe.me Card’ especially for those times when a supporter can’t be there in person due to time or distance.
Ms Carr said that when someone in need signs up to Swathe.me, they are allocated a Swathe.me ID number. When a supporter gives privately to a Swathe.me card using that individual’s Swathe.me ID either through the website or the platform, then the recipient will receive the physical card that enables direct practical support from our nationwide preferred suppliers.
Timely Services
“It means that Swathe.me can provide the things that people need in times of high stress: a lift to hospital, babysitter/caregiver, physio session, meal provision, grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, funeral arrangements, lawn mowing, or a Will or Enduring Power of Attorney,” she said.
“People who don’t currently have a loved one facing a major event but want to make a tangible impact with their charitable giving, can give generally to those in need through the website,” Ms Carr added.
As a sub-fund of the Perpetual Guardian Foundation, the Swathe.me Charitable Trust is
structured to accept charitable donations for those in need or causes close to the heart, such as cancer, mental health, neonatal care, hospice, or to address specific types of disabling conditions, such as cerebral palsy. Recipients receive 100% of every donation, and donors are eligible for a 33% tax credit.
“We are making life better every day for New Zealanders right now. It’s a great feeling,” Mr Carr said.
For further information, please visit www.swathe.me or Facebook Page www.fb.com/swatheme; Contributions to the Swathe.me Charitable Trust can be made at www.swathe.me/charitable-trust/
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Photo Caption:
- Janey Carr
- Andrew Carr
(Supplied)
