Dr Ramona Tiatia (pictured at right) is the IT and Research and Development Manager for WellStop, a community-based organisation that works to eliminate harmful sexual behaviour from our communities across the lower North Island. Ramona identifies WellStop’s values as: whanaungatanga (relationships), pono (trustworthy), ngākaunui (compassionate), manawanui (courageous) and hiringa (excellence).

As a non-profit organisation, WellStop offers clinical services for free, or at a very low cost, to clients who walk through their door as ‘self-referred’ or who are formally referred by other services from around the lower North Island. They also offer (when available) vouchers for transport and food. Ramona says the provision of baked goods from Good Bitches Baking “is a great addition to enhancing the gifts we offer our clients”.

“Clients light up, they smile, and often get surprised that there are some awesome treats for them to take home or share during therapy sessions.”

GBB has been providing baking to WellStop for more than three years. Miriama Tolo, Regional Manager for WellStop Southern, says the baking is used mainly by their adult groups that meet Tuesday evenings and Wednesdays as well as providing a welcome treat for younger clients and families. According to Miriama, “Clients light up’ they smile and often get surprised that there are some awesome treats for them to take home or share during therapy sessions”.

Miriama adds that a lot of WellStop’s clients “do not have the opportunity to access homemade treats”, with the baked goods often bringing to mind “happy memories of home-baking when growing up or of a special grandparent or parent”. While WellStop does provide meals to clients, the baked goods from GBB are regarded as that extra-special food that evokes good feelings because they have been made by great people.

Ramona describes a kind community as one that, “provides awhi to our vulnerable whānau and children by facilitating high quality therapeutic services and by collaborating with great organisations like GBB in the provision of good quality products (for example, foods) that lift and nurture the physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing of individuals and whānau”. She emphasises that food is extremely important to their vulnerable clients and staff often tell clients (and visitors) how “amazingly generous GBB is to provide such deliciously presented and high quality baking at no cost to our teams and especially to our clients”.

On behalf of WellStop, Ramona says, “Thank you GBB!”