Charity lauded for community work
With another award and new premises on the way, it keeps getting better for Kiwi Community Assistance.
The Tawa-based charity, which doles out hundreds of boxes of food, clothing, whiteware, furniture, toys and other items to organisations such as the Salvation Army and Porirua Women’s Refuge, is becoming much too big for its premises.
Founders Phil Davies and Tracy Wellington will shortly move their operation from Main Road, Tawa, to a warehouse in Grenada North.
Wellington still shakes her head at how far they have come in little more than two years.
‘‘ We’re moving 100 banana boxes of goods a week,’’ she said.
‘‘ Our warehouse is chock- ablock and our phone is running off the hook. We got offered 29 tonnes of tinned tomatoes the other day. It’s just incredible.
‘‘To get that sort of volume, we need a bigger space.’’
Sponsors such as Hubbards, Desktop Imaging, New Zealand Micrographics had made Kiwi Community Assistance’s desire to help those less fortunate a reality, Davies said.
The organisation had a board that regularly reviewed its activities, he said.
The move to the new warehouse will cost $30,000 a year so donations would be vital, Wellington said.
Being the joint winner of the health and wellbeing category at the Tawa Community Civic Awards last month helped to keep up the organisation’s profile, she said.
‘‘ We will share the award around with our volunteers, because they’re a huge part of what we’re doing.’’
Wellington said volunteers were still being sought as demand for Kiwi Community Assistance goods continued to grow.