A woman moved by grief and a newspaper story has turned chilly memories into warmth and wheels for others.<\/p>\n
After reading a story in\u00a0The Star\u00a0about the work of the Dunedin Bedding Bank, Kelley Gardner donated $10,000 to the charity to help buy a car to support the work of founder Janine Walker.<\/p>\n
Time spent in the cold of Central Otago and memories of her late husband, Dr Mac Gardner, who died about two months ago, helped inspire the gift.<\/p>\n
“A remarkable man, eccentric, absent-minded professor.<\/p>\n
“I had been married to him a long, long time and his eccentricity was part of his charm.”<\/p>\n
The family had a tiny cabin in Central Otago.<\/p>\n
“When I say tiny, three metres by three and a half metres, tiny, no heating, electricity, nothing.”<\/p>\n
The family used to gather there in any season, even in winter, Mrs Gardner said.<\/p>\n
“Because it was so cold, he bought up every woollen blanket he could find on TradeMe to keep everybody warm, plus hot water bottles.”<\/p>\n
The family sold the cabin last year, but the blankets and bottles remained.<\/p>\n
When Mrs Gardner read the article in\u00a0The Star, she thought: “Bingo, here is the place that will take my 20 woollen blankets and hot water bottles”.<\/p>\n
Noticing the group was also fundraising for a vehicle, she decided to give enough to allow a car to be bought.<\/p>\n
Still grieving for her husband, she felt this was a small way she could honour him by doing something good for others.<\/p>\n
She was struck by the down-to-earth nature of Dunedin Bedding Bank founder Janine Walker.<\/p>\n
“Somebody that can really relate to them … she doesn\u2019t put on airs.<\/p>\n
“I thought, thank God somebody is helping these people. Good on her.”<\/p>\n
Mrs Gardner grew up in the United States and moved to New Zealand in the 1970s.<\/p>\n
“I was born poor in America.”<\/p>\n
She recalled her family receiving boxes of food from a local church every weekend.<\/p>\n
“We didn\u2019t have enough to eat and I have not forgotten that.<\/p>\n
“Now that I am not poor, I feel it is my obligation to help those who are needy.”<\/p>\n
Dunedin Bedding Bank administrator Alysha Gibbs said they were shocked when they saw the large donation.<\/p>\n
“I might have sworn a little bit.<\/p>\n
“It is such a weight taken off our shoulders.”<\/p>\n
The donation not only means the charity can buy a decent car, it also allows it to cover expenses such as warrant of fitness, registration, insurance and maintenance.<\/p>\n
The charity will spend time during December considering the best options for a vehicle, Ms Gibbs said.<\/p>\n
She thanked everyone who had donated for the car.<\/p>\n
“Thank you for the support.<\/p>\n
“I don\u2019t even have words to say thanks for the people that donated because without community support, we can\u2019t do anything.<\/p>\n
“Every person that donated, whether it was $5 or $10,000, it all adds up to help to be able to get the vehicle to support Janine and then in turn to support the charity.”<\/p>\n