Help Support the Rooney Whanau Rebuild After House Fire

$5,260 donated

Given by 67 generous donors since yesterday

A local family has lost their home & everything they own in a house fire. We are coming together to support them as they rebuild their lives

Methven, Canterbury

On May 29, 2026, our lives changed in an instant when a fire destroyed our home. In a heartbreaking turn of events, this date marks exactly five years to the day since a devastating flood ripped through our farm on May 29, 2021.

We had only just reached a point where it felt like life was finally back to normal. To be faced with such a significant loss all over again is overwhelming, and we are currently navigating the shock of having lost our home, our belongings, and our sanctuary.

We are incredibly grateful that we are safe, but we are facing the daunting task of rebuilding our lives from scratch for the second time. Many of you have asked how you can help; through the generosity and loudness of our community, this page has been set up to assist with the immediate costs of essential items and the daunting recovery process ahead. Some financial support may be provided from insurance.

Your support, whether through a donation or by sharing this page, provides us with more comfort than we can put into words. Thank you for standing by us and for your kindness as we take this one day at a time. We are truly grateful❤️

Leah Smith's involvement (page creator)

I’m a local parent and our kids are close friends.

Use of funds

Funds will go towards helping the family cover immediate essentials like clothing, accommodation, food, and replacing basic household items as they begin to rebuild.

On average, fundraisers pay just 2% to use Givealittle. This is one of the lowest effective fees in New Zealand fundraising. We charge a 5% platform fee to cover the cost of running the platform. Because most donors choose to top up their donation to cover this fee, the effective cost paid by fundraisers is about 2%. That means around 98 cents of every dollar raised goes to the cause. Learn More