The week, which was founded by Volunteering New Zealand, honours and celebrates the collective efforts of volunteers in Aotearoa.
New Zealand is a nation of volunteers, with more than one million people giving their time and energy to give back to their communities. At Fonterra - with 12,000 employees and 9,000 farming families - many of their people work together to put good quality nutrition in the hands of those who need it most, protect and regenerate the environment, and to provide support to keep communities strong.
Meals made with love for Te Aroha
To put good quality nutrition in the hands of those who need it most, volunteers from Te Aroha College, Fonterra and Ngāti Tumutumu Trust gathered at Tui Pā marae for a community cooking session.
The event was organised by the Fonterra Matamata-Piako Hapori team to support Kura Kai, a registered charity who raise funds to purchase chest freezers, which are then donated to the high schools they support. Kura Kai then works alongside the school to build a local community of volunteers to cook nutritious family meals to help keep those freezers well stocked.
Kura Kai Founder Maikaia Carr says she is grateful for the support from the team at Fonterra.
"We're so grateful for the vision that Fonterra has - showing they are keen and ready to bring our community groups together, providing resources, and allowing us all to work as one towards our shared goals. Helping and empowering our rangatahi. Ngā mihi Fonterra, such an awesome day of mahi," she says.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
The Co-op has around 150 employees who volunteer for Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), in over 60 fire stations across the country. In some communities, Fonterra employees make up over 40% of the fire crews.
That is certainly the case in Edgecumbe, where the local site is right next door to the fire station. Of the crew of 22 in the brigade, 10 of them work for Fonterra.
Fonterra Edgecumbe Energy Centre Operator Tracey Lloyd has been a Volunteer Firefighter for over 10 years. She decided to become a Volunteer Firefighter to protect the community that she lives in, and to make people feel safe.
"My parents were dairy farmers and I used to drive past the fire station all the time. I always used to look at the fire station and think 'I should go in there'. And then one day, I finally did," says Tracey.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Fonterra Research & Development Centre
Fonterra's Research & Development Centre (FRDC) in Palmerston North is one of the largest dairy research facilities in the world and has been a pioneer in dairy innovation for 95 years. But it is the people who make FRDC truly special.
Recently, they have volunteered on farm to clean up damage left by Cyclone Gabrielle and planted trees in the local community. To support the Co-op's farmer owners in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, nine dedicated volunteers spent the day on Wayne and Janet Smith's farm outside of Waipukarau. A massive effort from the team saw them clear 1.7km of fence debris, leaving the entire 5-wire fence restored and above ground.
"The farm was heavily affected by the cyclone, with slips and fences completely wiped out. Wayne and Janet expressed immense gratitude for our help, their appreciation and support meant the world to us," says Fonterra Business Analyst Lauren Barnard.