By Dave Goosselink
The volunteer student army is back shovelling the streets of Christchurch today.
The students are focusing their efforts on suburbs badly affected by land damage and liquefaction.
But with 1200 volunteers involved, a key problem is trying to feed them all.
The army has been a welcome sight on the streets of Christchurch, shovelling and clearing silt from properties. The 1200 volunteers are now focussing their efforts on the badly-affected suburbs of Burwood, Dallington and Avondale.
But keeping the students from going hungry has been a logistical problem, prompting organisers to issue an SOS call to university friends in Dunedin.
"You know, we need to feed these volunteers," says Nic Twaddle. "We've got thousands of people going out each day, and we're struggling to actually be able to feed them all."
An urgent request went out in the local media yesterday, calling for people to bring packed lunches to Otago University to help support the student volunteers.
"We've got them pre-packaged, non-perishable, so when they arrive there they can just get them out to the guys on the street, they don't have to think about it," says Mr Twaddle.
For southerners, it was a chance to do something tangible for the relief efforts.
"Ideally I'd love to be in Christchurch," says Nicki Fairbairn, lunch-packing volunteer. "I'm an ex-navy medic and I'd dearly love to be there, but I've got to do everything I can here to help."
And Dunedinites have really stepped up to the plate. Organisers set an ambitious goal of making 10,000 lunches, but finished the day with 17,000 snack packs for the students.
"Some people are bringing one, some people are bringing in 10. But it all helps you know," says Mr Twaddle.
The food arrived in Christchurch in time for lunch, and should feed the army for at least the next week.
3 News