Every year, tens of thousands of New Zealanders wear the poppy to keep the memory of these brave men and women alive, but also to provide ongoing support for veterans and their families.
The Poppy Day Appeal provides our RSA with funds to provide a wide range of welfare services for returned men and women in our area where the funds are raised.
We have several Welfare Officers who are available to help veterans find out more about financial assistance. Help might include monetary grants for those in financial difficulty, help to provide glasses, hearing aids and essential dental work, specialist medical appointments as well as surgery, hospital and home visits for veterans. Recipients need not be members of an RSA to benefit from the Poppy Day Appeal assistance, but must be returned services’ personnel or their dependants in need.
It is this kind of financial and practical help that makes our RSA such a respected and trusted organisation in our community.
Many thousands of New Zealanders give generously in the knowledge that funds raised from Poppy Day do so much good, the photo shows the secretary of the Poppy Trust, Pat Bloxham presenting a cheque to Returned Service person, Paula Wood.
Poppy Day will take place on Friday 17 April this year and the Otaki RSA will be looking for collectors in our area which covers Manakau in the North right through to Waikanae in the South. If you can spare an hour or two please contact Pat Bloxham on 06 364 6221