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Karekare Community Cyclone Gabrielle response

  • An update on Karekare Cyclone Recovery Fundraising

      21 July 2023
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    We're really pleased to let you know that Auckland Transport approved the submission to remunerate our local road crew. This means a portion of GiveaLittle funds used to support this work has been reimbursed to the GiveaLittle page.

    We are also able to announce that Kia Kaha Karekare has been approved for a $50,000 Red Cross Community Enable Grant. We are very grateful to the Red Cross for their support of our community.

    The Red Cross will be working in partnership with AEM, Council Recovery, Healthy Waters and other government organisations to determine the distribution of resilience and future preparedness funds. We hope to be able to work with them to secure additional funding for the Karekare Resilience Network in this next tranche of funding.

    With the high priority road access costs now covered, Kia Kaha Karekare will be consulting with the community on how to prioritise current and future GiveaLittle fund distribution.

    Thank you so much for your ongoing support of Karekare’s cyclone recovery.

    Kia Kaha!

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  • Kia Kaha Karekare

      27 June 2023
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    Thank you for your support of Karekare’s recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle, we deeply appreciate the help you've given us.

    Inspired by your support we have now established a Charitable Trust called Kia Kaha Karekare. Its purpose is to benefit the Karekare community by fundraising and applying for grants.

    If you would like to continue to be updated on Karekare’s recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle and ongoing fundraising needs please register here. Your information will not be shared and will only be used for the purposes of Kia Kaha Karekare updates.

    https://forms.gle/YZ4mtoUgmomVEWpRA

    You can also follow our journey on Facebook here:

    https://www.facebook.com/KIA.KAHA.KAREKARE?mibextid=LQQJ4d

    Kia Kaha Karekare has made an application to Red Cross NZ Disaster Fund Grant on behalf of the community and we are meeting with them this week to talk through their response.

    We have also completed a Submission for AT to request that our local road workers get reimbursed for all the unpaid hours they dedicated to fixing our roads and creating access in and out of Karekare for residents. The outcome of this is expected within two weeks.

    We will provide further updates on fund allocation and priorities once we have clarification around Red Cross Grant and AT reimbursement.

    Thank you for your ongoing care and support. We are still gratefully accepting donations and will keep you updated on our community recovery.

    Kia kaha

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  • Karekare needs an extra $30,000 to cover hard costs incurred by community members

      30 April 2023
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    Over 10 weeks on from Cyclone Gabrielle we wanted to provide an update on the fundraising and distribution of funds for the Karekare Community response.

    Thanks to our generous individual donors and also substantial donations from the PGA Tour ($5,000) and Edens Arts Trust ($5,000) we have so far raised $61,960.

    Our priority has been to reimburse community members who have incurred hard costs as part of supporting the emergency response. The lionshare of this has been to enable our epic local road crew to get access to the machinery and materials they required to ensure a safe access in and out of Karekare for our community.

    We are $30,000 short of what we need to reimburse machinery and material hard costs. Please help us if you are able to donate so that our heroes are not out of pocket.

    We have made a submission to AT to remunerate our local crews for the amazing work they have done and are awaiting the outcome of this. If compensation is received from AT then any beneficiaries of the Givealittle fund will reimburse the fund so it can be allocated for other community priorities. In the meantime there are bills that need to be paid…

    A summary of how the funds have been distributed ($61,951.70):

    Equipment Hire paid / reimbursed $ 51,229.58

    Lone Kauri Construction Ltd, Andy Hamm, Sarah & Eyan Cannon, Clint Bishop, Karel Witten-Hannah, Mark Kessner, Chris Tisch, David Munro

    Roading Material Reimbursement $ 4,725.78

    Christopher Turbott, Central Landscape Supplies (West) Ltd, Duncan Stuart, Clint Bishop, Rudi Buchanan Strewe, Ben Burrowes

    Fuel & Fuel Container Reimbursement $2,281.56

    Nerissa & Josie Arnet, Eyan Cannon, Neil Grundy

    Community Hub costs and misc reimbursement $3,714.78

    Claire Inwood, Sarah & Eyan Cannon

    Thank you so much to these incredible community members who have not just given their time but gone above and beyond incurring costs in support of Karekare’s cyclone response and rebuild.

    We are in the process of setting up a Charitable Trust so that we can apply for grants and prioritise ongoing fundraising, in consultation with the community and other community organisations/groups.

    Thank you for your ongoing generosity and support.

    Kia Kaha Karekare!

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  • Thank you so much for the amazing support for Karekare

      10 March 2023
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    Thank you from all of us for the amazing amount of support, it is so humbling to see so many friends of Karekare make donations towards our emergency response and rebuild.

    The initial emergency response phase is complete and we are now reimbursing community members based on the following criteria:

    Have they incurred hard costs (physically paid) on behalf of the community?

    Was the cost incurred for the greater good of the community?

    Was it part of the Emergency response?

    Invoices are being submitted for use of equipment, such as diggers, that have been used by our local ground crew for the works to our drains, roads and the emergency response clean up.

    Invoices for sharpening chainsaws or replacing chains for chainsaws used in the clean up are also being accepted.

    What’s next?

    We have reached out to the community to ask what they think we need to best assist the next phase of the rebuild of Karekare. Some thought starters are included below:

    Back up generators

    A community ATV

    A larger container for storing supplies

    Ongoing trauma counseling support

    Long Term community hub

    Planting slopes

    Ongoing road maintenance fund

    We are collating all ideas and then will conduct a poll to prioritise future donations.

    There is a long road ahead and your continued support is so appreciated.

    Thank you!

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    • 10/03/2023 by Fiona

      Thanks for keeping us up to date. I have been through two severe cyclones and I know that as the media loses interest in the drama, the hard work continues for a year or more. And more than ever, a community needs outside support because you get tired and overwhelmed. So please know that we are with you. Kia kaha, Karekare!