“If you have some spare time and the desire to help families, there will be a chance to volunteer with the Spirit Army on whatever basis you choose.”
Get involved
We are so happy you’re interested in getting involved with our work here at Spirit Army. There are so many ways for you to help, and any skill you have is precious to us - sewing, building, car repairs, gardening, babysitting, cooking, driving, cleaning, IT, painting, deliveries, mentoring, donating goods - you can volunteer once a year, work when it suits you, get stuck in or simply donate - every contribution is valuable!
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Mentors who go in and work alongside our families are at the heart of our whanau, click here for more info.
Here are some of the roles we really need help with:
Cooks and Bakers
Prior to winter, we cook up emergency meals for families to freeze and use when they are too sick or stressed to cook during the winter. We also make pick me up hampers for families and help supply food for working bees.
Babysitters
Single parents struggle to find work while they have dependent children at home so there is a role for volunteer or discounted babysitters or on-call babysitting when a mum may need to get to hospital.
Drivers/Dog's Body
Emergency drivers to get families to doctors or other appointments when the car breaks down and delivery of donated goods to families - these are some of the driving roles that crop up from time to time. Other roles include cleaning house for sick mums.
Youth Leaders
For the young or young at heart, a fun role supporting our youngsters at their fortnightly fun nights. You will organise games and go with the flow, helping the youngsters have a good time and being role models for their future. There is an opportunity for such leaders to become a buddy to one of the children and to visit them in their family home in the week between the fortnightly SBS get-togethers. As with all people who may be in a position of being alone with families or children, police vetting and training with Spirit Army is a requirement of this role.
Gardening Volunteers
Fresh organic veggies are ideal for growing kids but often out of price reach. Spirit Army runs three large spray-free gardens and at home gardening for our families, and there is room for more volunteers. Share your gardening skills, learn with others and make new friends.
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SEE BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS.
Firewood
We aim to cover the firewood needs of our families to ensure they stay warm and healthy over winter. We receive donated felled trees, then chainsaw, split, store and deliver to families. Rayonier-Matariki Forests supply us with truck and trailer loads of timber and we split and store this at the DT King yards. We run working bee days and also allow for small groups or individuals to work on a day that suits them.
Tradies and Home Handy Person
Most of our families are single parent and they struggle to do the little jobs around the home or can't afford to fix that car or build that fence. If you are handy or a tradie, you are gold to us!
Email Supporters Group and Facebook
Or you might like to simply join the email supporters group and receive updates on casual ways to get involved or follow us on Facebook
Our Gardens
Home Garden
It is always better for families to do for themselves, so we are offering all families a small starter garden this spring at their own home thanks to funding from South Island Foodstuffs.
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Murihiku Marae Garden
This is a partnership with Murihiku Marae and Spirit Army. Under our NZ Gardener of the Year, John MacManus, we provide the people power for the large tunnel house and 8 raised beds at the marae off Tramway Road. Our aim is fresh, spray-free weekly veggies for our families all year round. The team produces tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, caulis, cabbages, broccoli, carrots, parsnips, pumpkins, leeks. Set working bees run at the Marae on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9am.
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McIvor Road - Dream Family Garden
Invercargill City Council has loaned us 4 hectares at McIvor Road which we are developing into a dual purpose family paradise garden, and bulk grower of fundraiser potatoes and other veggies. The family bay is to be crammed with strawberries, peas, blackcurrants, berries, tomatoes for children to pick at leisure, plus a kids garden, grass play area and tree area including hut - to entice children to a love of gardening. While the children play, the parents can garden and socialise.
There’s a lot of work to do sourcing plants and working the ground in time for spring later this year. The bulk garden includes our main potato gardens where we grow our Christmas and new spuds for sale. The enclosed four hectare area provides a natural playground for the children and we are building this up with play equipment for inside and the outdoors.
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We have leased two buildings on the property and have begun renovations, painting the outside, cleaning the inside. We aim to have full kitchen facilities and make our three room building into our clubrooms and whare. After 6 years we will have a home.
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By producing more veggies than our families need and on-selling to Love Local and The Pantry, we increase the organic food footprint in Southland.