Kindness Collective and Flood relief
D9920 is working with the Kindness Collective with regards to distributing flood relief funds. Here is their latest update. To date approx $75,000 has been passed to the Kindness Collective for distribution on the District’s behalf.George Wilson – just acknowledged as D9920 Rotarian of the Year - is well known to many members of our Club – not least because of his great support for the Salvation Army foodpacking, along with RYDA and everything else Rotary with which he is involved.
George comments:
“Of all the achievements that I have had in 48 years as a Rotarian this is the best news that I have ever been associated with and is money being directed right into the Heart of the challenge at hand. I am so pleased that DG Allan and his team have made this commitment with Sarah Page and her wonderful helpers at the Kindness Collective.
What is happening here is recognition by ROTARY, that here is a creditable organisation with far better contacts and proximity to the need than we Rotarians can ever possibly achieve on our own. Please accept our thanks to all that were involved either in giving or in the decision to make this gift. You have made a most worthwhile decision and action and I am extremely proud of being a Rotarian.” |
Recent update from Sarah Page [pictured above, at Xmas time]:
We've spent:
$4,336 on food
$4,573 on whiteware
$940 on 2 x car seats and 1 x cot (we've had 6 sent out but we had some in stock we'd already purchased from DIA funding)
$4174 on extra bedding
A lot of our families coming through in the last 6 days are refugees and migrants from Kāhui Tū Kaha, MDM, Family Start, ProCare Here Toi and Mangere Family Services.
Some really sad stories of families only arriving a year ago, getting set up from the community, having homes and complexes flooded, losing most uninsured possessions and then moving into emergency motels, then transitional houses not suited for their families, moving a few times all across Auckland and now settled in very South Auckland, where they were once in Avondale. So many families are still struggling with the basics. We had one family that was renting a fridge at a ridiculous price with interest, so Mum was so relieved to be given a new one.
Some of the stories of the families you've helped this week:
1.“I am supporting this family because they have a child with autism. After the floods, they took in Tongan relatives who are still with them and now there are 10 of them in a 2-bedroom home ( social housing) in Papakura. P……'s husband had to return to Tonga for a funeral so he hasn't been able to work and has no leave provisions as he is a contractor. P…... phoned me today to ask for a food parcel. She also requested bedding as her guests brought fleas into the house and the bedding is full of fleas despite P……. washing them many times. She has flea bombed the house.”
2. “This family's house was severely damaged by the recent floods in Auckland. The family has been put into temporary accommodation until their home is repaired and liveable. All furniture on the ground level of the dwelling was damaged including all the beds, baby's room, and bedding, draws were wet, and the washing machine was ruined.”
3. ”I was told the 6-year-old girl has clothing and shoes as her room was the only room that didn't suffer from the floods, but the rest of the family lost everything. They could really do with bedding, a washing machine, two beds and car seats for the car as they were in the garage for now. This family has nothing really and they have no savings or money to purchase things needed and no assistance from MSD because they didn't qualify.“
Ariana Andrews, from our Club, is a member of the Board of the Kindness Collective.