Rangi Ruru School Students collecting Items for the Buller Flood Recovery effort. Pictured with Gifts of Love and Strength founder, Vicki-Anne Parker.
NZ gifts of Love and Strength is a registered charity founded in 2019, the day after the mosque attacks. Its primary focus is to provide care packages to people in need and welcome packages to new Red Cross refugees in Christchurch.
The team of volunteers also respond to larger scale events. To date this includes the Mosque Attacks, a primary school burning down, the Mid Canterbury Floods – baking for farmers in the weeks after the floods, flooding in Westport, and providing Covid welfare packages. Last year the charity set up 5 collection points and filled a truck with packages for distribution to Westport residents.
The NZ Gifts of Love and strength team have responded again after the February flooding, setting up five collection points around Christchurch to collect items. Christchurch Adventist School and Rangi- Ruru School also donated goods and produced cards of support for flood affected Westport residents. A pallet of goods arrived at the Westport Recovery Hub this week with donations collected from around Christchurch of non-perishable food items, cleaning products and children’s colouring books and pencils.
Founder, Vicki-Anne Parker, says inspiration for the charity came from her experiences after the Christchurch earthquakes. “We understand the stress and difficulty after an event like the Westport floods. It is hard. Organising collections is one tangible way we can send our love and support to the people of Buller, and hope our donations make life a little easier. Kia Kaha.”
Gorgeous cards from Christchurch Adventist School and Rangi Ruru School offering encouragement, love and support on display at the Westport Community Hub.
Founder, Vicki-Anne Parker, says inspiration for the charity came from her experiences after the Christchurch earthquakes. “We understand the stress and difficulty after an event like the Westport floods. It is hard. Organising collections is one tangible way we can send our love and support to the people of Buller, and hope our donations make life a little easier. Kia Kaha.”
Shayne Barry, Manager Social and Welfare Recovery at the Buller Recovery team says the Flood Recovery team are once again overwhelmed by these acts of kindness from outside of the Buller Region. “Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all the individuals groups who have donated both in recent weeks and in the months after the July floods. The donated goods will be distributed through the Community Hub, Poutini Waiora Navigators, the Rural Support Trust and the Flood Recovery Team.”
