Mid Canterbury Federation of Women’s Institute members are donating time and resources as their national organisation runs a campaign called Nourish the Nation.
Institutes in the Mid Canterbury Federation include Chertsey/ Pendarves, Fairton, Hinds, Lowcliffe, Ladbooks, Prebbleton and Wakanui.
Members have donated and planted fruit trees to two local schools, provided meals for families in their community, donated food to their local food banks, and donated $700 worth of grocery vouchers to Ashburton’s St Vincent de Paul Food Bank.
The foodbank is grateful for the donation, particularly as winter bites in Mid Canterbury.
St Vincent de Paul secretary Jackie Girvan said there had been a slight increase in the number of food parcels distributed over the year, to June 30 this year.
‘‘What we are noticing is more people are coming to us in regards to their power accounts,’’ Girvan said.
‘‘Winter seemed to start earlier this year in mid-May and people have either used up their wood supply or are finding bigger power accounts, so we are helping people in this area,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, Nourish the Nation has a theme Softening the Hard Times.
The federation members have taken this literally and are knitting some soft woolly items, such as slippers, hats and scarves.
This is a big knitting project the federation has adopted to be its anniversary project for next year when it turns
90. The items will be given to Plunket, Birthright, rest homes and the refugee programme.
The knitting task follows federation members recently holding a craft day to enable them to enter their national competitions in 2025.
