Opportunity to Contribute to Hawkes Bay Emergency

No scam sailorboy. Just people trying to help others when they've lost everything. Nothing more, nothing less. It may happen to you one day, so you shouldn't be so paranoid.

Farmlands is now sending a truck a day with feed and supplies. Primarily from Levin I understand. My mate is coordinating with them currently.
The main issue is knowing / finding out what people actually need.
The second issue is knowing what roads are open and passable.
The lack of communications is a major issue.
We are still looking to do what we can to help. Trip up is still planned for Tuesday but the focus may change given Farmlands heavy trucks are shifting the bulk of feed and supplies.

I'll help.

Ive been a tad stressed all week without being able to get too our farm to check the stock, a wife living without power and just seeing the carnage without being there to help as Im on the otherside of the world in WTF? land, which is another story.

So if I can help destress others Im in. I've already thrown 4 gennies into the clusterfuck.

Stand by while I organise it from afar.

Yeah, but do you want to chip in or not?

Sorry, I thought it was a email you received? Not a post you drafted...

Since putting my original post asking for cash, our understanding of the situation has changed a lot.

There appears to be no shortage of donated items being offered. There is now reasonable capacity with freight companies sending heavy trucks. The issues are:
1) Distribution in the regions
2) Sending what is actually needed

My mate Steve has not taken his horse truck up. His local Farmlands (Levin) is sending trucks, so he has sent his hay via them. They are plugged into who needs it and the farmers distribution networks.
He still has grazing for 12 horses available, and a 3 bdrm furnished house on Kawau. It is modest, and about a 15 min walk up the hill at School House Bay. It sounds like the grazing and house are secondary issues right now, but may be needed in the future.

Napier was in desperate need of gas bottles (BBQ cooking) and generators, but as soon as the power goes back on, they don't need those anymore.

Personally I've spoken to an old colleague in Napier and an Uncle and some Cousins in Gisborne. They are all fine (houses didn't get flooded) and resourceful types. None need any help themselves.

My Uncle is an orchardist. 5 neighbours houses have been nailed. Aunty has put me onto the worst off one, and I've sent them cash directly to help out immediately. This is my current plan, as it provides a resource quickly, and gives the recipient flexibility to use it on what they need right now.

When Aunty went to check on them, the lady was trying to wash clothes in a bucket. They were attempting to dry bedding and a mattress in the sun. It is a couple who live in a modest 3 room batch on a Kiwifruit orchard. The water reached about 1.5m inside the house. They've stripped all the internal walls, pink batts and what not to dry the wall framing out before it rots or develops mold. I understand she is a chef at the Fishing Club and he either works on the orchard or does casual jobs. Not exactly a lot of spare financial resources.

Aunty took their washing. She says (at nearly 70) its the first time she's had a strangers washing hanging on her line...