Red Cross donates 150 evacuation bags to elderly Napier residents living alone

Napier resident Margaret Daukes (seated) receives her new grab bag from Red Cross Napier branch treasurer Janice Zachan. Photo / Gary Hamilton-Irvine

One bright red gift stood out from the rest during Napier resident Margaret Daukes’ 90th birthday.

Daukes was given an emergency grab bag on Monday as part of an initiative led by the Napier branch of the Red Cross.

That branch is delivering 150 bright red evacuation bags full of supplies to Napier residents who rely on Meals on Wheels, which mainly includes elderly residents living alone.

The aim is to help prepare them for another emergency like Cyclone Gabrielle.

“I thought, ‘What a great idea’,” said Daukes, who turned 90 on Sunday.

“I was having a look around the house, and I have a cupboard in the hall with hooks [where I’ll keep my bag].”

The bag includes a water bottle, torch (with batteries), pocket radio (without batteries), whistle, face mask, blanket, rain poncho and hand sanitiser.

During Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, Daukes was picked up by her daughter, who took her to stay in Taradale.

Daukes, who lives in Greenmeadows, had a grab bag on hand for that emergency, but said she found it too heavy and she much preferred her new Red Cross grab bag.

Red Cross Napier branch treasurer Janice Zachan said many residents who relied on Meals on Wheels had difficulties during the cyclone.

“The truck that comes from the DHB [at Hawke’s Bay Hospital in Hastings] couldn’t get across the bridges,” she said in reference to that emergency.

“One of the things we found out, just on a pilot survey we did, was that most of the Meals on Wheels people were not prepared.”

Meals on Wheels is a subsidised service where meals are delivered to mainly elderly residents - up to five times a week - who have difficulty making hot meals.

The Red Cross has a team of volunteers who deliver those meals, and tapped into that network to donate the grab bags, using funding from a legacy (will).

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.