A Hawke's Bay DHB firewood bank project aimed at providing free firewood for families in need has received a boost thanks to the support of local individuals and businesses.
DHB housing project co-ordinator Keith Hamilton and the Child Healthy Housing Programme team initiated the project last year to improve the lives and health of vulnerable families and children at risk from cold homes.
Since then various organisations had come on board including the Hastings District Council, Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers Association, EIT and Department of Corrections, with offers ranging from wood, to a storage site, and assistance to process and transport it.
Off to a good start, Mr Hamilton said the next step was to find more wood to keep the initiative going with an estimated 100 cord of wood a year needed.
This target became achievable for this year with the recent generous offers.
Mr Hamilton said one landowner with a lifestyle block outside Hastings had cleared off some trees, and donated them, amounting to about 200 cord.
"The timber is just sitting there, EIT students will go in in April and start cutting it - it will be two to three years worth - it's good timber that they could get good money for selling, so we appreciate it being donated."
Tumu Timbers and Rayonier Matariki Forests had also offered to help with sizeable wood donations.
Tumu Timbers general manager James Truman said the company had committed to 40 cord, and depending on how it went this year, would consider increasing it next year.
He said they would also deliver the wood as and where needed, and that the contribution added to other community initiatives such as giving free offcuts of wood to schools, kindergartens and preschools.
"There's times of the year we are producing a lot of firewood and this is one way to utilise that to benefit the community."
Rayonier Matariki Forests had also offered to deliver the wood they had donated for free to the storage depot, and harvest operations co-ordinator Jeremy Baldwin said the move was about doing what they could to benefit the community.
"So many take a warm, healthy home for granted. If anyone is in a position to help then we should look at every way possible.
"Supplying, cutting and distributing the firewood needs all hands on deck.
"I'm just happy that we at Rayonier Matariki Forests and the wider contractor workforce can be a part of this great community initiative."
Mr Hamilton said the recent offers made a huge difference to what the project what was trying to achieve.
"We are targeting 100 families, who we aim to supply one cord a year to get them through the winter. It's a huge ask and this has really helped."
He said the wood only went to people who could not get it anywhere else and who may have already used up their Work and Income New Zealand grants on other necessities.
Although the wood was free, the recipients paid for the delivery.