Update 15: A year after Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in early 2023 we’ve committed the entire New Zealand Disaster Fund to helping people and communities affected.

It’s pretty hard to mobilise the power of humanity without human beings. That’s why every year we recognise the service of our people through national honours and awards.

Southland community has welcomed former refugees with warmth and kind hearts as they rebuild their lives in Aotearoa New Zealand. Samuel, Nelson, and Leudy are just three of the 353 former refugees who have come to Southland since New Zealand Red Cross began providing settlement services in Invercargill in 2018. They all had to leave their original homelands – countries such as Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and they bring with them a wide range of skills and diverse cultures.

We talked with Pimia Wehi about the community-led recovery taking place in Te Karaka after Cyclone Gabrielle, the mental and emotional toll of the disaster, and her experience of taking a Psychological First Aid course with Red Cross.

This month we signed a formal agreement with the Student Volunteer Army. It sets out how we’ll work together in a crisis, provide more volunteering opportunities for students, and benefit from each others’ expertise.