At times like now when the polar blasts move across the country, when there is ice on the windscreen nearly every morning and power is a limited resource, staying warm and healthy is a real challenge for far too many families. Cold homes can lead to many debilitating conditions including high blood pressure, pneumonia, and bronchitis. People already suffering from health issues, the elderly and children are especially vulnerable to the cold.

The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay, which meets weekly at the Bucklands Beach Yacht Club on Wednesdays, has teamed up with the Anglican Trust for Women & Children and the Warehouse in Pakuranga to bring some warmth into homes that are desperately cold and for whom, some respite from the shivers is welcome indeed.

Dipping into their resources Rotary purchased a load of blankets for local families, and the Warehouse generously topped the quantity up as part of their support to the local community. Together with volunteers from the Anglican Trust for Women & Children the blankets have been distributed to many families in South and East Auckland, making a huge difference to folk who normally dread the onset of winter. This was a great team effort from three organisations, charitable and commercial, working together to deliver good outcomes to their community.