PAYING IT FORWARD

The day after the attacks, Christchurch woman VickiAnne Parker began gathering care packages and meals for those in need. Her group is still hard at work, and she has been touched by the city’s generosity and grace.

For Christchurch, it’s business as usual, says Vicki-Anne Parker, but many locals are still hurting. As well as the victims and their families, children are still seeing constant reminders of the attacks, such as schools going into lockdown and police carrying guns.

But Christchurch, she says, is a very resilient city. “It’s second nature for us to dig deep and give.”

Vicki-Anne knows this from experience. She started her volunteer group, which collects and distributes donated goods to people in need, as a pay-itforward gesture, remembering how she received help from strangers in the wake of the Christchurch earthquakes.

“We have regular contact with a few families [of victims] now,” she says. “The large majority are doing okay and

all of them wish to see peace and understanding of their religion and culture. The pain of losing someone you love suddenly is hard to overcome for anyone, and the way the Muslim community are doing this with grace and forgiveness needs to be commended as they have done this in such a quick time frame.”

Vicki-Anne says her group, NZ Gifts of Love and Strength, is now also working with the Red Cross to help refugees arriving in Christchurch, and she reckons it’s not just food packages that make a difference – simple gifts such as handmade cards and painted rocks can make each family member feel special.

Vicki-Anne’s Facebookbased group is still looking for donations and sponsors. Visit facebook.com/nzgiftsofloveandstrength