CelsiusCarterton

Our last load of firewood will be delivered on Monday so I think its fitting I sign off with something of an overview of what Celsius Carterton has achieved.

For the last few months we have been doing our best to make Carterton the warmest community in Wairarapa.

The achievements made have surpassed anything I could have imagined when I first started out on this journey.

What started out as an effort to help a single family that was struggling to warm expanded to a community wide -and slightly further afield - project that ended up helping far more people than I could have hoped for.

We have compiled our findings and passed them on to local MP's with the hope that the government will address the issues faced by the people we have aided.

With the funds raised and firewood donated we have made a difference to 10 families. 36 people who could have suffered a far harsher winter if not for our efforts.

I say our efforts as we have had not only locals, but people from as far away as Hamilton, Auckland, Hawkes Bay and Nelson donate funds.

We have been donated firewood by locals, Taratahi Ag Center and even a very generous bloke named Neville from Masterton.

The Wairarapa Times Age published a notice free of charge, Brent from More FM gave us some air time on the radio and the Carterton Crier published an entire article about what we were doing.

The people helped have ranged from the unemployed, single income families, solo parents and pensioners and the children in these households showing that this is not a problem faced by a single type of people.

Struggling to keep warm effects many, not only locally, but nation-wide.

The difference being, with our efforts as a community we have collectively said; This is NOT acceptable and we WILL do something about it.

To all of you who donated firewood and funding, exposure and support, on behalf of the families helped, I thank you.

I am humbled and very proud of the community in which I live in.

Sincerely,

Martin Gronback