Lightening the load – volunteers build a fresh start for Palmerston North family

How much can a group of volunteers achieve in just one day?

As Palmerston North couple Ruth and Stuart will tell you, quite a lot.

In August, Habitat Central Region teamed up with the Royal New Zealand Air Force and Bunnings Warehouse to support Ruth, Stuart and their two kids with a hand up in their backyard.

A keen gardener, Ruth loves to grow her own produce and return what she can to the earth through composting. Their backyard is a safe space for their kids to play and spend time in nature. But when life presented a few challenges, the garden got away on them.

With the support of Habitat, materials generously supplied by the local Bunnings and a hard-working group of Air Force volunteers, the family’s yard has been transformed. In just one day, the team cleared the site, replaced a broken fence, assembled and planted raised garden beds, and helped create a fun play space for the kids.

Ruth says the whole experience has been a fresh start, a new beginning.

“It’s a chance to actually take a breath instead of just feeling the weight of all the work that needs doing.”

Ruth has been in her home for about 20 years and has taken it from a mostly bare section to a site with several fruit trees and one-square-metre gardens. They’ve even hosted beehives on their property in return for jars of honey.

“It's wonderful when you can cut the costs, but also provide nutrition. And then with the fruit trees being your own, I used to take plums and other fruit down to the kindy and let them enjoy them.

“I sometimes bake things for church or make jams and put them in the koha boxes and things.”

Ruth, Stuart, and their girls also rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in alongside the volunteers, helping plant up their new garden beds and creating a beautiful fairy garden. With vege seedlings and strawberry plants now in the ground, there’s plenty for them to enjoy over the coming months.

Ruth and Stuart were selected for the project through Habitat’s Home Repair programme – an interest-free solution for homeowners in need of support with critical repairs or maintenance. The family had applied for support with repairs to their bathroom and heat transfer system.

It’s not only Ruth who feels lighter now that all the work is complete. With trees pruned and the vegetation cut back, the house itself is lighter and brighter.

Thanks to the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Bunnings Warehouse Palmerston North and Enviro NZ for supporting this project.