Editorial: Shelter response heartening

Kevin Swannell and Kiri Swannell serve soup to the needy at Clive Square in Napier. Photo / Warren Buckland

It is quite heartening the way our readers have responded to our Limitless Emergency Shelter Appeal to help the Swannell Family get their wish of an emergency shelter for those in need.

Kevin and Kiri Swannell are a selfless couple who have spent many a winter night in Napier feeding the homeless from their mobile soup kitchen.

About a month ago Property Brokers gifted them a house in Hastings, which if they moved it, they could use as an emergency shelter for people in need. They have been looking for land, donations to move the house and tradespeople to help them make the house liveable.

Hawke's Bay Today decided this was a worthwhile cause and launched the Limitless Hope Emergency Shelter Appeal. For two weeks we have run stories about the project and urged our readers to help.

Even though I was expecting a good response, it has still been overwhelming, with people offering time, skills, goods and money to this worthy cause.

Our mayors, Bill Dalton and Lawrence Yule - of Napier and Hastings respectively - have been working together to find a solution. and our MPs Craig Foss for Tukituki and Stuart Nash for Napier have also helped, with Mr Foss seeing what government agencies and ministries can do to assist.

While there are promising signs for more help, what is urgently needed is land to put the house on, either permanently or on a temporary basis.

Donations are also required. Every little bit counts.

For those of you who have helped, thank you.

•For offers of help, please phone Ms Swannell on 027 3019 491.
•Make a pledge at givealittle.co.nz/project/limitlesshope, or donate directly to HB Limited Hope Trustee Ltd: 38 9017 0031 584 00.