Safe, secure housing is something Laurel never takes for granted. After years of housing insecurity, financial hardship, addiction and mental health challenges, she knows firsthand what it feels like to be searching for stability while trying to hold life together.
Following the breakdown of a difficult marriage, Laurel moved around 16 times, often with her daughters, navigating temporary accommodation, house-sitting arrangements, and uncertainty about what came next. Throughout it all, she continued working, raising her children, and doing the difficult personal work of healing from trauma. “It was a kind of parallel life,” she says. “I worked hard in my career, did the deep work to deal with trauma, developed a creative practice and kept trying to create a home for my girls and me.”
Supported by family, friends, and a determination to rebuild her life, Laurel eventually achieved home ownership, moving to Whangārei where housing was more affordable, which enabled her to recently return to Auckland downsize to a wee apartment. It was a moment that changed her understanding of what home can mean. “I finally understood what it felt like to walk into a home where I felt safe and secure,” she says. “There was something about staying still. It gave me a feeling of belonging that I hadn’t felt through all those years of moving.” That lived experience remains close to her heart and shapes the way she approaches her mahi as a Community Development Manager every day.
During a blessing for a housing development, Laurel found herself quietly touching the walls and imagining the families who would soon move in. “I could imagine a whānau walking into that home and knowing they were safe and secure. I know how powerful that feeling is.” Long before her own housing journey, Laurel’s values were shaped by community. Growing up in the small Taranaki settlement of Bell Block, she experienced what she describes as a “free-range” childhood, where neighbours looked out for one another and giving back to the community was simply part of life. Growing up alongside an older brother with physical and intellectual disabilities also helped nurture a strong sense of empathy and social responsibility.
A family move to Borneo at the age of 11 further broadened her perspective. Witnessing poverty firsthand gave her an early understanding of privilege and inequality and reinforced a belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive. Today, those experiences underpin her passion for community development. One of the things she enjoys most about her role is the opportunity to work directly alongside residents, supporting them to have a voice in the places they call home.
A recent community barbeque is a perfect example. Following resident surveys, Laurel organised a gathering that brought whānau together to discuss ideas, share feedback and identify improvements they wanted to see in their community. The event was supported by colleagues, community organisations, and lived-experience partners, creating a welcoming space for residents to connect. “Food brings people together,” she says. “It’s about creating a sense of togetherness and giving people opportunities to contribute.” For Laurel, seeing residents turn up, engage, and begin shaping solutions together was one of her proudest moments.
“I hadn’t done that kind of direct community work for a while, and I wasn’t sure how it would go,” she says. “When people came out and started connecting, I thought, yes, this is it. This is why I do this work.” The experience also reinforced something she has always believed: strong communities are built through collaboration.
Throughout her life and career, Laurel has drawn inspiration from people who embody that spirit. One of those people is her long-time mentor Linda, whom she describes as a woman of immense integrity and compassion. For more than 30 years, Linda has been both a personal and professional influence, teaching Laurel the importance of service, creativity, grassroots leadership, and genuine community connection. “Community is community,” Laurel says. “We’re all people. Linda taught me the importance of meeting people without judgement or pretence.”
As we mark Women’s Health Week, Laurel is also open about her ongoing journey with mental health. She refers to periods of depression and anxiety as “the little black dog” that occasionally walks beside her. Rather than fighting those moments, she has learned to respond with self-compassion. “I’ve learned to be gentle with myself and know it will pass,” she says. “For a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me. Now I understand it’s something I live with, and that’s okay.”
It is this openness that has strengthened her belief in the value of lived experience. She hopes that by sharing her story, others can see that challenges do not define a person and that healing is possible.
“Don’t disown your experience,” she says. “Integrate it. Not as a victim, but as a warrior. Use what you’ve learned as a superpower, not just for yourself but for others as well.”
That philosophy sits at the heart of Laurel’s work and her approach to life. It is also reflected in a whakataukī that holds special meaning for her:
“Me aro koe ki te hā o Hineahuone”
Pay heed to the dignity of women.
For Laurel, it is a reminder to honour the mana, strength and worth of every woman, especially those whose lives may not look perfect from the outside. As Women’s Health Week reminds us, wellbeing is about more than physical health. It is also about safety, belonging, connection and the courage to ask for help when we need it.
