Volunteers thanked with a high tea

City Mission Volunteers enjoy a high tea to thank them for their service.

City Mission volunteers enjoyed a High Tea on Saturday in an annual event to thank them for giving so much to the Mission over the year. We have about 170 regular volunteers across all our sections. The high tea was held at All Souls Church in Merivale and City Missioner Corinne Haines thanked the volunteers for making it possible for us to do so much more to help people thanks to their voluntary hours.

“We really appreciate everything you do and we know you do it with a passion,” she said. Corinne said the volunteers would have seen plenty of changes at the Mission over the past year, including the new Op Shop at Barbadoes Street, the new foodbank, the new café and the new village atmosphere that had emerged at 275 side of Hereford Street.

Corinne Haines, City Mission thanks the volunteers attending for their service and support

She got a laugh when said she knew the foodbank team in particular would have been glad to escape “the dungeon under the building” and cross the road to new, light and airy purpose-built premises.

Corinne said more changes would inevitably come over the next 12 months and into the future, because the City Mission’s story was one of continuously evolving to meet the community’s needs and to do the job better.

“Christchurch is really lucky to have the Christchurch City Mission doing what we are doing and you all come together to do this. We know from now to Christmas is going to be a very busy time for you and some of you will step up to do a lot more than at other times of year so thank you for your dedication.” She wished them a wonderful Christmas and said the Mission would look forward to seeing them back again next year refreshed and ready to help the city once again.