Red Cross stories
Red Cross stories
Read our stories filled with humanity, resilience and the spirit of volunteering. They show how your support is helping vulnerable people in New Zealand and around the world.
3 March 2022
Always there in times of disaster – Westport floods
New Zealand Red Cross disaster response teams were there for the people of Westport as they faced their homes flooding for the second time in seven months. Two team members reflect on their experience and on a weary but strong community standing up to help itself.
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3 February 2022
Meet DWST Volunteer Kendra Roddis
Our Disaster Welfare and Support Teams (DWST) respond to emergencies throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Comprising 19 teams of highly committed, multi-skilled volunteers, DWST provides welfare support and psychological first aid to people impacted by disaster – which can be anything from earthquakes, floods and fires, to terrorist attacks.
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31 January 2022
Warm welcome for Masterton’s first refugee families
In January Masterton welcomed two new families from Pakistan — the first former refugees to settle in the town in decades.
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20 December 2021
A bittersweet escape from Kabul
Amid the chaos of Kabul in August, Afghan pharmacist Zamir waited outside the airport wondering if he would ever safely make it out of Afghanistan to be with his fiancé on the other side of the world. Read about his courageous journey to a new life in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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25 November 2021
Huge Hanes new clothing donations a warm welcome for former refugees
It’s the little things that can make a big difference — and if you’re a former refugee arriving in a new home country, that might just be a fresh pair of socks or a warm new hoodie.
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