Posted on Apr 09, 2019
Hi Rotarians of D9930,
 
Thank you all who have responded with support and donations to the tragedy of Christchurch which occurred on Friday 15th March 2019.
 
Today, Rotary D9930 has transferred $17,530 raised from within the district to the D9970 Mosque appeal being coordinated by the Rotary Club of Riccarton. $2950 was raised at the District Conference and the balance has been raised by individual and club donation.
 
You will see below that your donations will most likely be used in the legacy fund for supporting the families and victims in the long term, particularly with the educational and vocational needs of the affected.
D9970 Governor John Driscoll and his Rotary team of Presidents in Christchurch on the ground, are to be congratulated for their leadership and instant response to this sad event. On top of the earthquakes, Rotary in Christchurch has shown the care, respect and sympathy for all New Zealanders and have lead by example. Well done President Shane Murdoch, Rotary Club of Riccarton for coordinating the appeal.
 
On 4/04/2019, at 8:16 PM, jadriscoll@xtra.co.nz wrote:
 
HI everyone......timely for me to send you an update on the Mosque Appeal. Below you will find a letter from myself and the presidents of the three clubs involved which explains where things have progressed to. We are very grateful for the support which has come from near and far - thank you.
John D
 
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
Firstly, we would like to thank the many individual Rotarians and clubs within New Zealand, across the Tasman, and around the world for your response to this call for support after the tragic shootings in Christchurch on March 15th.
 
This all developed rather spontaneously, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
 
We have of course anticipated that written acknowledgements and receipts are essential, and a spreadsheet of donors has been maintained which we will process as soon as possible.As this evolved it quickly it became clear that the support from Rotary would be required in two key stages; responding to the immediate need, and establishing a longer term fund in which Rotary and leaders within our local Islamic community will work together in providing continued support into the medium and long term.
 
Over the past couple of weeks, a number of Rotarians including myself have been volunteering at the Support Centre and Hub set up at Hagley Park by the city council and local Muslim leadership, to provide a place for victims and affected families from that community to seek support and access immediate help. Through this, we have been able to get to know key people and undertake a degree of diligence with regards to the level and types of need required and how best to distribute this.
 
We have also seen how absolute and devastating the trauma associated with this event has been and the stories heard will stay with us for a long time to come.
We have closed an effective "stage 1" of this appeal at $50,000 which is being handed over to the Canterbury Muslim Community Trust (coordinating direct support to victims and families via the support hub based at Hagley Park). Today we are handing over $25,000 in grocery, petrol and taxi vouchers and a further $25,000 in cash into a medium-term fund run by that trust to provide counselling and psychological support in a culturally appropriate way.
 
Last Saturday morning a number of Rotarians from District 9970 responded to an urgent call for help to provide groceries for food and care packages to the tune of $1600 from the fund. The centre had run out of food after a sudden influx of families seeking help after the national memorial service the Friday before. Many had ventured out of their houses for the first time since the shootings. 
 
There are still significant funds remaining and there are numerous clubs who have pledged or expressed interest in contributing but would like to contribute to more of a "legacy" fund.
 
A structure is being developed for this using the relationship we have established with the Canterbury Muslim Community Trust. There are discussions occurring with an established Rotary Trust in Christchurch with a view to using their structure and a separate grants committee comprised of Rotarians and representatives of the Muslim community. The scope for the committee is still to be finalised but will include supporting children and young people whose parents have been killed for education and vocational training needs, recreation, sport and other activity-based needs, along with other levels of support required into the medium and long term as determined with our friends from that community.
 
Thank you so much to all our fellow Rotarians around the world for your support.
 
These terror attacks have had a devastating effect on our entire community and country and the Muslim members of our community will require our awhi (support) for some time to come. After the initial shock and trauma, our experience from the Christchurch earthquakes is that the real psychological impacts and long-term consequences are still to come.
 
For now, we will begin to give proper acknowledgement to those who have contributed thus far and continue to build the relationships where Rotary can continue to do good in this particular part of the world into the foreseeable future.
 
He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata
 
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.
 
Yours in Rotary,
 
John Driscoll                                 Shane Murdoch
District Governor-9970                President-Riccarton
Theresa Shaughnessy                 Barbara Crooks
President-Linwood/Woolston        President-Ferrymead
 
Thank You
John Driscoll
115 Pages Rd, Allenton, Ashburton 7700 jadriscoll@xtra.co.nz mob 0275 383816
 

Once again, thank you all.

 

 

Graham Jull

District Governor 2018/19

Rotary District 9930

Mobile +64 27 2768181

jullg@xtra.co.nz

Proud to be a Rotarian