Mark Freeman
A Nelson-based group running community outreaches to the vaccine-injured says people are now more willing to receive support than previously.
The Vaccine-Impacted Support network (VISn), a group of holistic health practitioners and counsellors, was started in 2021 by Covid-mandated professionals. Every week the group set up their outreach tables near the Saturday market in Nelson and the Sunday market in Motueka, offering counselling, health information, and health and wellbeing workshops.
Spokesperson Carleen Reich Simko says that recently people on the street have become more open to the group. “The energy is way different. At first…they didn’t want to accept that it was a bad thing to get jabbed, but now it’s really a lot more thumbs up. At first…you can imagine what they would wave to us because they thought we were crazy or whatever. But now they’re saying, ‘Hey I’ve got problems and I’m willing to talk about it.’
“I reckon when the soul’s ready to know the truth, they will approach us. And that’s our template. We really don’t approach people. They come and see us.”
Some people feel ashamed about having taken the vaccine, she says, but starting the conversation is “the most powerful thing we can do” and the outreaches are a safe place for people to be heard.
Because of VISn’s regular presence at the markets, many people visit them weekly to have a chat and they tell their friends about them.
Ms Reich Simko hopes people in other centres in New Zealand who are good listeners with compassionate hearts will also set up similar community outreaches. The group is offering help with resources and can be contacted at visn2021@protonmail.com.
