Hastings Ambassador boosts morale of evacuees and devastated communities
Hastings Ambassador Henare O’Keefe has been doing his bit to boost the morale of people evacuated from their homes as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle.
O’Keefe, who was a Hastings District Councillor for the Flaxmere Ward for many years, is now Hastings District’s official Ambassador. In the days since the cyclone hit, he has been visiting evacuation centres set up around Flaxmere to lift the spirits of those devastated by the flooding.
“They have destroyed bricks and mortar but the spirit is well and truly alive,” O’Keefe told Hawke’s Bay App.
His base has been Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere, which has been providing those in need with food and clothing.
“We have been inundated with stuff to give to those affected. We have a capacity of 80 at Te Aranga Marae, but we have been feeding lots of families. They come there for showers, etcetera. So we hit capacity.”
O’Keefe says there are another 100 evacuees at the Flaxmere Community Centre, with a further 80 in Malamalama EFKS Church and more than 100 at Ascend Global Church in Flaxmere.
“I have been moving around to the various venues just saying hello, giving them a hug and seeing if there is anything they need.”
“At night I've been going around with friends and family and singing a few songs and having a good time with them.”
O'Keefe says people in the evacuation centres had been brought in from Pakowhai, Waiohiki, Omahu and further afield.
“Some been flown in by helicopter after four, five hours on the roof of their house. We’ve got Vanuatuans, Samoan, Fijian, and so we've been having a real cultural exchange sing-a-long.”
“Despite losing everything, their spirits are well and truly intact.”
O’Keefe, who lives in Flaxmere, says he personally came close to being evacuated and lost power for three days,.
“I had a very good lesson in humility.”
He says he has used his time this week to join in the effort to help those in need in the community.
