Koha Kai volunteers - Photo/ Koha Kai Facebook page
An Invercargill-based kaupapa that brings together hungry kids and people with disabilities is set to represent the Southland town at the Trustpower National Community Awards this week.
Koha Kai was named Supreme Winner at the Trustpower Invercargill Southland Community Awards in 2016. This time round, they will go head to head with 24 of the country's best voluntary groups and organisations.
Koha Kai has been running since 2014. For a gold coin, school children receive a hot, healthy lunch, while the disabled receive important life skills and training.
The Awards event is a chance for voluntary groups to learn with one another, share experiences and tell their stories. Koha Kai will give a presentation on what the group has achieved and why they deserve the Supreme Award title.
Trustpower Community Relations Representative Emily Beaton says Kohai Kai has a great story to tell.
"Koha Kai has a fantastic business model that positively impacts a large and diverse range of the community. It is purely volunteer driven and continues to develop and extend its services, which is a testament for the need for something like this, and the chord that it strikes with so many.
The community should be proud of Koha Kai. They will be fantastic ambassadors for the Invercargill and Southland community at the Trustpower National Community Awards,” says Beaton.
The Supreme Winner will take home a custom-made trophy, $4,000 in prize money, a framed certificate and a $1,000 consultancy voucher from one of New Zealand’s leading training providers for the community sector, Exult. The Runner Up will receive $2,500 in prize money, a $500 Exult voucher and a framed certificate.
The event will take place in the Rotorua Lakes region from 24-26 March 2017.