Our club has had connections with Youthline for several years particularly through our Youth Projects Group, and most recently made a grant of $7,000
Recently we visited their Dunedin premises and two of their staff, Brian (General Manager Otago & Southland) and Kara (Face to Face/Community Education Manager) gave us an interesting insight into the 50 year history of Youthline, and the services which the Otago branch provides from five sites across the province including helpline counselling, training, community education programmes, and face to face counselling. Some of the statistics presented, especially the rate of increase in the number of young people seeking mental health support over the past five years were quite frankly "scarey".
Rotary Dunedin members, along with members of other Rotary clubs, collected at five supermarkets last week as part of Random Act of Kindness Day. Shoppers were generous in their support, with at least 1,000 kg (yes 1 tonne) of groceries (estimated value more than $5,000) passed on to be distributed by KiwiHarvest.
A beautiful morning for Trees for Families, our Rotary Dunedin partnership with Keep Dunedin Beautiful. Sixty trees were planted on Sunday, Father’s Day, at West Harbour. Everyone enjoyed the still quiet morning and loved their opportunity to celebrate special family members and at the same time give to the evergrowing native plantings and gorgeous harbour side landscape being created in this space. With the Rotary Gazebo looking proud and Keep Dunedin Beautiful banners in sight, members of the public gathered for the formal opening before planting. Acknowledgments of thanks for the trees, for the organisation of the event and blessings for the trees were given by Jan Tucker of Keep Dunedin Beautiful, Dunedin city councillor Marie Laufiso representing the DCC, and our own club President, Gordon Tucker.
Special thanks go to club members Peter Jackson and Neil Lyons, with help from President Gordon Tucker, who braved a chilly Dunedin morning to get the site preparation underway for the new bolt on bike repair station on the West Harbour Bike Trail.
Around 80 cans collected at last weeks meeting were added to the total in the Octagon, along with some money that members had donated.
