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.

This month marks 75 years of the New Zealand Red Cross Meals on Wheels delivery service – a milestone that celebrates generations of volunteers who have delivered not only hot meals, but care and connection to communities across the country.

When Ayman arrived in Palmerston North in June 2024, he carried a mix of hope and uncertainty. After spending his childhood in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, Aotearoa New Zealand offered a safe place with opportunities – yet everything was unfamiliar. The language, education system and even the rhythm of daily life were all new. The path ahead felt both exciting and uncertain.

New Zealand Red Cross worked closely with Civil Defence Emergency Management groups and other organisations in affected areas to prepare for Cyclone and Vaianu and support response efforts.

Communities in the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Ward of the Far North affected by the severe weather event in January are able to receive additional recovery support through a partnership between New Zealand Red Cross and the Far North District Council.