Our Story

Shirley, our Program Support Coordinator, has helped build a beautiful network of generosity. Through the Tauranga SPCA Op Shop, we’ve rescued beds, clothing, and bedding that would have gone to landfill. Thanks to Pristine Dry Cleaning, these items were refreshed and passed on to the Edgecumbe Clothing Project and Women’s Refuge.

We’ve also repurposed aluminium windows and doors, connecting with referrers in Murupara, Kaingaroa, Rotorua, and Te Kaha so whānau could reuse them. Wall insulation collected in Tauranga has gone straight into local homes, improving warmth and comfort.

Alongside individual whānau wanting alternatives to dumping goods, we’ve redirected carpet, stoves, heaters, and other materials for reuse. We now work with a second Tauranga op shop and CReW Whakatāne, who bring donated heaters to us instead of sending them to landfill. Every heater is safety‑checked before being passed on to whānau.

We’re also grateful for the many hand‑knitted blankets, crocheted baby items, and donations from Powerco’s Tauranga team – warmth shared with aroha.

Our team regularly assembles care packs filled with essentials - soap, balms, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand sanitiser, and health resources. Thanks to referrers and community donations, our assessors can deliver these directly to whānau needing extra awhi.

Period poverty is a reality for many girls and women, especially in remote parts of the Bay of Plenty. After reaching out to Days for Girls, we received boxes of reusable pad kits and breastfeeding packs. Each kit includes care instructions so it can be used again and again, reducing waste and supporting dignity. Our assessors now deliver these directly to those who need them most.

After establishing the Tauranga Curtain Bank, we now support the Red Cross in running it. We’ve supplied curtains from places like Waipuna Community Centre and provided curtain tape and hooks when needed. Once curtains are lined and ready, our logistics team delivers and installs them in homes across the Bay of Plenty.

We see so many homes with no heating, or unhealthy unflued gas heating, and with young vulnerable children. To help, we have collected hundreds of donated heaters. This has been through various efforts, including donation drives facilitated by Rotary, Powerco, and more. We have also received donations from various op shops and community initiatives like CReW Whakatane. We then supply these heaters into homes, with timers and with advice on how best to use them economically and effectively. Our team ensures that all the heaters we collect are safe to be relocated.

There are many whānau sleeping cold at night, without comfortable warm bedding. We have been fortunate to receive beautifully hand knitted and crocheted blankets from the public. Op shops and donation drives have also been successful in sourcing blankets to then deliver to whānau in need.

Our kaimahi often give their own time to uplift others. Nik has volunteered with Good Neighbour, helping at community barbecues and supporting access to free tools. As a team, we’ve painted homes, cleaned gardens, removed rubbish from mangroves, and supported conservation mahi with DOC.

Individually, some of our staff also volunteer as marathon marshals, emergency responders, SPCA helpers, Cancer Society supporters, Park Run volunteers, committee members for Jogging the Powerpoles, kiwi survey planners with Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust, and educators with the NZ Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

One of our assessors met a hardworking single māmā whose son is fundraising for a school trip to Japan. He’s been baking and selling carrot cake, steamed pudding, cookies, and Russian fudge to reach his goal. Our team has been very willing taste‑testers - supporting his dream one delicious bite at a time.

During a trip to Vanuatu, our assessor Rachel connected with the Vanuatu Red Cross Society on Efate Island. She delivered five boxes of children’s toothpaste and toothbrushes (from USL Medical), four first aid kits (from Alsco), and a collection of school supplies, clothing, and shoes her own tamariki had outgrown. In communities with limited access to basic health and education resources, these items were deeply appreciated.