Christchurch charity awarded “Outstanding achievement” in volunteer awards

One Mother to Another Facebook page.

A Christchurch charity has been awarded “Outstanding achievement” in this year’s Minister of Health Volunteer Awards.

The announcement was made by Andrew Little at a special event at Parliament’s Grand Hall.

One Mother to Another received the ‘Community or NGO Health Service Team Awards’ for Outstanding Achievement.

Over the past six years, One Mother to Another has been providing free care packages to parents and caregivers with sick children in hospital.

Every year they provide around 3,500 gifts across four South Island Hospitals.

The team of 60 volunteers contributes up to 300 hours each month, carrying out a range of roles from governance to practical support like packing, writing thousands of handwritten letters of encouragement, knitting and crocheting thousands of wool hearts and blankets, and delivering the care packages to hospitals.

One Mother to Another was started by two Christchurch mothers Christina Buckland and Joy Reid.

Andrew Little said “these awards celebrate and recognise the thousands of dedicated health and disability sector volunteers who give many hours of theirtime to help other New Zealanders, going above-and-beyond for people in their communities,” Health Minister Andrew Little said in presenting the awards this afternoon.