Such is the case in a project promoted by the St Vincent de Paul group in south Dunedin, in support of Catholic Social Services. The aim is to provide firewood to those who need it during the winter months, so that their homes are heated, and the cost is not a hurdle.

A few years ago, the New Zealand Government began to offer a special energy supplement during the winter months to those receiving National Superannuation. Catholic Social Services suggested that, if some Mercy Parish members did not need the supplement, then that money could be donated to be put to use in a practical way. So donated money was then used to buy trailer-loads of firewood, which could be delivered to those needing that assistance.

From that original concept, the project has evolved over the last couple of years. A parishioner who has connections to local forestry blocks has been able to source some logs that had no commercial use. This so-called billet wood is either damaged or imperfect, and would be cast aside and left to rot. Some of these logs have been delivered to the yard near St Patrick’s Basilica in south Dunedin.

Besides the forestry block source, there have been other trees supplied this last year. Some trees had to be cut down at Mosgiel where the new retirement houses for priests were to be built in the grounds of the Holy Cross Centre. There was also some wood from trees cut down at St Peter Chanel in Green Island, and from a Mercy parishioner’s house in Waverley.

A team of parish volunteers, co-ordinated by Gerry O’Farrell, gather at the yard with chainsaws and log-splitters to turn the logs into suitable-sized firewood.

Another small team of pupils from Kavanagh College then help stack the cut wood along a fence line in the yard to dry for nearly a year, ready for distribution to those in need during the following winter months.

So a very practical project has evolved over recent years, making use of volunteers with suitable connections, skills and machinery to provide a much-needed solution to help keep people warm who need it most.

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“They also serve who only stand and wait . . .” The English poet John Milton (1608-74) ended his famous sonnet with those words, which typify what is involved in a community-minded initiative that has taken place in South Dunedin over the winter months.

Every Thursday since the beginning of June, a small team has assembled in the foyer of St Patrick’s basilica by 3pm to provide sustenance in the form of free hot soup and heated buns or bread. There is a selection of three soups from which to choose. On the day of the NZ Catholic correspondent’s visit, the choice was from Pumpkin soup , Cauliflower and Potato soup, or Cream of Mushroom soup. The Pumpkin soup was superb.

The chief soup-maker and originator of this service is parishioner Gerry O’Farrell. This particular community-focussed service stems from the activities of the St Francis of Assisi Dunedin Trust, which the parish set up about six years ago, with Mr O’Farrell as the chairman.

The St Francis Trust aims to help people in need of financial or similar support and assistance. Providing a helping hand to people through a difficult patch in their lives and supporting them with practical solutions, rather than just a handout, is the basic guiding light.

About a year ago, Mr O’Farrell gave up the chairmanship role as he became a part-time employee as a community worker for the trust. It was about the
same time that he conceived the idea of providing the special winter service.

From his past experience as a parent with children attending sport practices after school, he perceived the opportunity to provide a service in the cooler Dunedin winter months to busy parents and children and others to foster the sense of community. The idea of free hot soup and buns was born.

The St Francis Trust works closely with Catholic Social Services and obtains donations of free food and vegetables from Kiwi Harvest and Food Share. Mr O’Farrell works his magic with whatever is available and produces three different soups each week.

Thursday was chosen as the most suitable day of the week on the advice from a local principal, who indicated that it was a popular evening for sport practices. Sometimes those practices can spill over into children kicking a ball around in the foyer while parents converse over their cups of soup.

Free soup and buns are provided from 3pm through to 6pm. The number attending averaged between 20 and 30 during June, July and August for its first year. Mr O’Farrell, while pleased with the response, is hopeful that next year the numbers will grow. “Too many people would be a good problem,” he quipped.

The service is attended by some regulars who enjoy the social interaction as well as the soup. So the customers represent quite a range of ages from the fairly young to the very mature.

There have been suggestions that the service should be extended in a slightly different form through other months in the year, but that idea is just a developing thought at this stage.

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