2022 NEW YEARS HONOURS: JANE RUTLEDGE
Jan Rutledge, General Manager of De Paul House.
Creating the difference that housing makes Jane Rutledge, De Paul House general manager receives QSM
By Christine Young
When the 2022 New Year’s Honours were announced, Channel Magazine was delighted to see a number of “Shore-ites” recognised for their services to various aspects of community life. From tennis to plumbing, transitional housing to judo, health services, youth and local government – and of, course a DNZM (Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit) to Lisa Carrington MNZM of Forrest Hill, recognition of her achievements and “services to canoe racing”. Much has already been written about Lisa and her achievements; much less about others who also received honours. Christine Young profiles one of the North Shore recipients, and outlines others recognised for their contributions to making our communities better places to live. Jan Rutledge received a Queen’s Service Medal (QSM). We interviewed her aiming to find out more about this long-time Beach Haven resident. She was more interested in talking about De Paul House, to which she has devoted the last 15 years of her working life, than about herself, but we did discover that like most of us, she loves the North Shore lifestyle when she has the time, enjoying walking (especially around Beach Haven), swimming at her local beach, reading – and connecting with family in her native Taranaki. Jan began working at De Paul House in 2006, when the Catholicbased housing and social support organisation was still run by the Daughters of Charity. Northcote-based De Paul House was looking for a part-timer to work in funding and administration. Her two children were ready to start school, and Jan (with a background in finance and accounts) was looking for a job close to home. She confesses that she is neither Catholic nor religious. “I had to acknowledge it was faith-based, and came on board a bit cynical,” she admits, “but I was
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Issue 127 - February 2022 www.channelmag.co.nz
blown away by what I saw was being achieved…. I am a secular New Zealander, like many of us, but the place gets under your skin.” Little wonder. De Paul House is supported by the Catholic diocese and parishioners of St Mary’s Church in Northcote, and also, now, by a staff of 23 and more than 70 volunteers. It began in 1986 when volunteers converted a block of units opposite the church into transitional housing for people in need on the Shore. It now offers transitional housing across a number of sites on the Shore, as well as an early childhood centre, an adult learning centre, a community lounge, support for digital literacy, and access to a range of counselling services and budget advice, via De Paul House staff or other North Shore support services. “We provide a safe comfortable home, fully equipped,” says Jan proudly, and as De Paul House tenants transfer to long-term stable housing, they can take what they need – including bedding and furniture – so that they start afresh without additional costs. Jan says that although in around a third of the families at least one adult is in work, they tend to be in low paid roles, and in today’s market cannot achieve home ownership or independent rental – unless, as recently, one of several philanthropic landlords provides rental accommodation at a discounted rate, or, more notable still, gifts a
