Rotary Club: Hawkes Bay Consortium (Greenmeadows, Stortford Lodge, Ahuriri Napier, Taradale, Havelock North)
Year: 2025-26
Location: Hawke’s Bay
District grant amount: $6,500
Total cost of project: $14,000
Purpose of project: To provide emergency grab bags to vulnerable two person households in the region
Main steps: Liaise with local organisations and plan who recipients will be. Plan bag contents. Order bags and contents. Assemble and distribute.
Background
Hawke’s Bay in recent years has been hit, and massively impacted by, first Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, then two major flood events. Disaster preparation has been front and centre in the minds of Rotarians since.
The local Rotary Community Group (RCG) under RCG Leader Grant Spackman, and spearheaded by the RC Greenmeadows, created the Rotary South Pacific First Light Grab Bag project as part of the Community Group Growth Plan. This would provide emergency grab bags to vulnerable households so they were better prepared for the next disaster.
Objectives
The project objectives were to:
- replicate the Ahuriri Sunrise Grab Bag Project across the First Light Region, making our communities more resilient and better prepared
- work together, engaging the 10 First Light clubs in the project
- increase awareness of Rotary by publicising the project.
- engage current members and attract new members to our 10 clubs.
Funding
All five clubs provided between $1,000 and $2,500 to the project and four clubs applied for and were successful in securing District Grants.
Planning and implementation
A Working Group was established with representatives from the five clubs.
The cost of the bags was kept as low as possible through careful bulk ordering, deep discounts and limiting contents to absolute essentials. Each bag contained a manual suggesting other items the owner may consider adding.
Bags were distributed though 19 local organisations:
An estimated 72 First Light Rotarians participated in the project at some stage. The project had the potential to recruit new members through participation but to date this has not been a success.
Publicity and promotion
The Rotary Disaster Response manual has been made available to Plunket for distribution to their 6,000 clients. By distributing the Rotary branded manual widely, Rotary will be associated with the need to be prepared.
Multiple posts have been created and shared through social media, particulalrly Facebook.
Following the enthusiasm shown by Rotarians at the 2029 National Summit in Napier in 2026, the project report has been distributed to all NZ Rotary districts encouraging each one to replicate the projects in their districts.
Project representatives have given talks and demonstrations to multiple groups and organisations, particularly in the aged, health and disability sector.
Conclusion
The project objectives were met, apart from engaging prospective members. The ultimate test was what recipients thought and feedback has been universally positive. (See comments above)??
The project will have a wider reach than was initially anticipated. The Disaster Response manual has been distributed in printed and e-copy form and we hope other districts will pick up the project for their region.
Wouldn’t it be a win if Rotary became associated nationwide with the need for all households to be prepared for the next disaster?
For more details on this project and how you can do this in your district please email John Mackintosh
jm@jmconsultant.co.nz
Update: More feedback we just had to share....
From Housing, Napier City Council
"It’s been a few weeks since we picked up the emergency grab bags from you, but all have been handed out. And so, I just wanted to follow up to let you know the response of the tenants when receiving the bags was like watching kids at Christmas. All but one tenant (a strong silent type) expressed astonishment and extravagant gratitude at what the bags contained. Some of the comments I noted are:
- “I’m blown away! They thought of everything!”
“I’m over the moon! This made my day.”
“I’m amazed at how carefully they put this together. Please thank Rotary so much.”
“I’ve been wanting to put some things together for an emergency bag, but the money doesn’t stretch that far. I’m so happy to have something now.”
“Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! This is unbelievable!”
“I hope I never have to use this, but it’s very good to have something ready to go.”
“Please thank Rotary for us. We’re incredibly grateful.”
“I have been wanting to make a grab bag but haven’t known where to start. This is very helpful.”
“They really thought of everything! It’s a peace of mind for me to know I have this available in an emergency.”
“Please thank Rotary for me. It’s a relief to know that I have this if I need it, but I hope I never do.”
You really did think of everything. I had so much fun experiencing our tenants’s joy at seeing what you and the Rotary team put together. I add my thanks for how beautifully your thoughtfulness and care shone through in the preparation of the emergency bags. It really helps our senior community to feel more prepared in an emergency, and to consider what else they can do themselves to be ready for an emergency. Thanks again for including our tenants in your preparations. Blessings to you all.
