Christchurch - Random Acts of Kindness

Christchurch - Random Acts of Kindness

The tragedy that is Christchurch has overwhelmed us as a nation, but it has also brought us together in a way I have never experienced in my lifetime.  The incredibly unselfish generosity shown by so many New Zealanders to the people of Christchurch has surely surpassed the expectations of the most optimistic souls. That so many have given so freely of their time, resources and money to complete strangers while suffering themselves, makes me realise once again what a wonderful country we live in and what a special people we really are.  There are thousands of stories of heroism in the face of adversity throughout this time, but I just want to mention here the few people I know who have helped.  Where would we be without you and all the others who have so unselfishly fronted up and shovelled silt, provided meals, water and shelter to those less fortunate than themselves.

Thank you Deborah for designing the Chch Heart t-shirt and then organising to get them made and setting up the  website to sell them through and the Charitable Trust to channel the proceeds to the Christchurch Relief Fund. Thank you all my workmakes for walking the streets selling the t-shirts and all the Auckland retailers who so willingly stocked them in your shops and cafes and thank you to everyone who bought them.

Thank you Paul and Jill for all the time and effort you have put into helping out with ambulance and food runs, when your own lives have been so closely affected.  Thank you Phil and Ali also.  Your livelihoods are gone in the interim but I know you have been shovelling silt, doing ambulance and food runs and Phil, with your indomitable optimism and sense of humour, will be putting a smile on some sad faces. 

Thank you Jackie for driving from Auckland to Christchurch with a car full of bottled water and thank you Raewyn for providing that water, also for texting the SPCA every day to make sure there is enough food for the animals. 

Thank you Joss for providing a laundry service for those who have no way of washing their clothes and thank you to the lovely women who are dropping off muffins and baking for Joss to deliver as she is doing her rounds.

And thank you to all the unversity students and farmers who have given their time and energy to the cleanup.  They have shovelled tons of silt and rubbish.

Also, thank you to those wonderful Red Cross, Salvation Army and Police who were a Auckland Airport waiting with a smile and kind words to welcome the frightened and distraught parents and children, off the flights from Christchurch.

Thank you to Kohler who have set up a mobile shower complete with it's own water and generator, for the use of those who haven't been able to shower since the earthquake.  A typical bit of Kiwi "CAN DO" ingenuity there.

Last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to the very small expat community in Saigon who have hosted some events and have raised an incredible $NZ131,000!  That's fantastic!

This is but a small sprinkling of the incredible generosity shown by those at the coalface in Christchurch and also those of us who aren't there but are helping anyway.  I believe understand $20 million has been donated to the Red Cross Fund already.  How amazing!

Thank you, thank you, thank you.