Red Cross stories
Red Cross stories
Read our stories filled with humanity, resilience and the spirit of volunteering. They show how your support is helping vulnerable people in New Zealand and around the world.
17 June 2026
Six decades of service: Elaine’s Meals on Wheels journey
After nearly 60 years delivering Meals on Wheels, Elaine Utting, QSM, still isn’t ready to hang up the keys. The long-serving volunteer continues to deliver meals regularly in Auckland, driven by the same desire to help others that first inspired her to sign up in early 1967.
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11 June 2026
More than meals: The 93-year-old still showing up for his community
Most people would call it a day at 93 years old after 30 years of service. Not Neil Hume. He’s still behind the wheel in West Auckland, still turning up for people on his New Zealand Red Cross Meals on Wheels route, and still finding purpose in every meal dropped at the door.
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23 April 2025
Upholding humanity, wherever it may be found
Judy Owen is our longest-serving international delegate. For 40 years, she went into conflict zones with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide humanitarian relief to the victims of war.
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19 December 2024
Dedicated to Red Cross values
A mission to the Thai/Cambodian border in 1985 was the beginning of Jill Caughley’s almost 40 years of service to Red Cross. She recently received Honorary Life Membership, awarded to people who’ve given exceptional service and dedication to Red Cross.
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19 December 2024
Going above and beyond delivering Meals on Wheels
Maud and Mike Burke have delivered Meals on Wheels in South Auckland four times a week every week of the year since 2016. This clocks up to around 2,600 hours of volunteering each – which would equate to volunteering 24 hours a day for three months straight.
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