Category: Charities We Support

Our Warehouse and Logistics Manager, Dallas chose Autism NZ as his charity to support which was inspired by his whanau and particularly his niece, who has autism. He appreciates what charities like Autism NZ do for not those with autism and their families and the resources and knowledge they provide in order to help people better understand and diagnose autism.

Navigating the world of autism.

We’ve spent many years working with autistic people and the wider autism community to help support, inform, and educate. Let Autism New Zealand take every step with you.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects approximately 93,000* New Zealanders. The traits associated with autism span a wide spectrum and lead to a different way of seeing the world and interacting with others. Autism New Zealand has worked continuously with the community to deliver thousands of educational programmes that increase public understanding of autism. We assist autistic people and those who make up their support network to learn about autism and find the supports and services they would like to access.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Our South Island sales guru Henry Boon’s choice of charity, Blind Low Vision NZ, was inspired by his birthday bud and close family friend, Natalie, who lost her vision at a young age.

Henry knows that Natalie has never to let anything hold her back from experiencing all that life has to offer and appreciates the work that the foundation do each day to help support those who need their services, from guide pups to technology and everything in between.

Fun fact: Henry was already sponsoring a guide pup in training that will hopefully one day positively impact a persons life 🦮

‘Life without limits’

Every day, an average of six New Zealanders turn to Blind Low Vision NZ for support with sight loss. Some are still reeling and are looking for emotional support; many want to find ways to remain self-reliant, to stay in work and get around independently. All want to find ways of doing the things that are important to them. Blind Low Vision NZ is there to provide practical and emotional support, to advocate for inclusive communities and lead the way in vision rehabilitation. Blind Low Vision NZ advocates for accessible and inclusive communities because they believe people with sight loss should be able to get around public spaces like any other member of the community, access the same information, and pursue the career of their dreams without unnecessary barriers.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Lucas Grapes, who works in our Production department, chose Alzheimers NZ as his charity of choice. Alzheimers NZ is an important charity to Lucas, as he has an uncle living with the disease, and knows how debilitating it can be. He wanted to show support for the invaluable research that Alzheimers NZ undertake to help those affected by dementia, as well as their loved ones. Smart Pack are proud to support the Alzheimers NZ charity and the incredible work they do.

‘A dementia friendly New Zealand’

Alzheimers NZ represents people living with dementia in New Zealand, by raising awareness of dementia, providing information and resources, advocating for high quality services, and promoting research about prevention, treatment, cure and care. Dementia can affect anyone, and as people get older, the chances of developing dementia increase. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease – which around two-thirds of people with dementia have. The symptoms each person experiences depends on the parts of the brain that are affected. However, the most common dementia symptoms include changes in memory, thinking, behaviour, personality and emotions. These changes affect a person’s ability to perform tasks and interfere with their everyday lives. Dementia is progressive, which means that for most people the changes gradually spread through the brain and lead to the symptoms getting worse.

Local Alzheimers organisations provide the following services:

• Information and education to assist with understanding and living with a dementia diagnosis
• Support for family and friends coping with the demands of caring
• Support groups and day programmes for people affected by dementia

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Tiffany Smith, who is our International Purchasing Manager, chose the Starship Foundation as her charity of choice. Starship is a charity close to Tiffany’s heart, as a mother of 3 young children. She appreciates all that Starship does, and knows her children would be adequately cared for if they ever needed it. Smart Pack are proud to support the Starship Foundation and the incredible work they do.

‘Our children. Better health. Brighter futures.’

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Home is where the heart is, its time to support the Ronald McDonald House Charity! This charity is certainly close to home for Jack Power, as he started his work journey at the age of 15 at McDonalds, where he learnt all about this wonderful charity and how it helps children across the globe. These days you can find Jack in our production and dispatch departments. Smart Pack are proud to support the Ronald McDonald House charity and the incredible work they do.

Keeping families together, positively impacting on their journey, by allowing them to focus on their children

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Get out your bandannas, its time to support CanTeen! Eilish Walton, who oversees our graphic design and customer service, loves spending time with her niblings (nieces and nephews), and believes no young person should face hardship alone. Eilish has chosen to give back to CanTeen as it’s a charity close to her heart. Smart Pack are proud to support CanTeen and the support they give to young people living with cancer.

‘Cancer doesn’t care. We do.’

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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At Smart Pack, we endeavour to give back where we can, and know that every little bit counts to achieve big goals. That’s why we chose to make a donation towards RRT’s (Rapid Relief Team) Operation 322. This appeal is an inspiring cause, showing us how positive the worlds humanity can be. It’s all about care and compassion.

In response to the unfolding crisis in Ukraine, RRT launched a large scale humanitarian aid campaign, Operation 322, to deliver essential supplies to Ukrainian refugees. Two weeks on from the launch and ten truckloads of support later, and the need is not diminishing. RRT is ramping up Operation 322 and we’re calling on you to help raise £1 million for the people of Ukraine. Ukrainian’s are fleeing with not much more than the clothes on their back, so the basic necessities such as essential food and personal care products are in high demand.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity and their initiative.
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Most of our customers will know Levi and how committed he is to Smart Pack. Levi Currie is our National Sales Manager and always goes the extra mile to help – whether it be for business or personal. His choice of charity sits close to home, as he and his family suffered a personal loss to child cancer. Smart Pack are proud to support the Child Cancer Foundation and the ground-breaking childhood cancer research they fund.

‘We are there, every step of the way’

Finding out your child has cancer turns your life upside down. It happens to more than 3 Kiwi families every week, and none of them ever thought it would happen to their child. For over 40 years, the Child Cancer Foundation has stood by their principle of ensuring every family going through childhood cancer in New Zealand has someone there to support them at a time when they need it most. No families’ experiences are the same, and neither is the support they need, so that’s why the Child Cancer Foundation provides personalised support to families in 5 main areas: building resilience, social connection, emotional wellbeing, practical support, and moving forward.

Child Cancer Foundation’s 2022 street appeal, which is their biggest fundraising event, was cancelled due to Covid-19, so we wanted to help them and the 369 Kiwi kids fighting cancer.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Laura McGillivray is our Finance Office here at Smart Pack, and her choice of charity is KidsCan. Laura believes that all children deserve a happy and carefree childhood, as well as the opportunity for a better future. Smart Pack are proud to support KidsCan and help provide essentials for Kiwi kids to learn.

‘A better New Zealand for all Kiwi Kids’.

KidsCan provides essentials to 854 schools, 122 ECE’s (Early Childhood Education), and 200,000+ kids across New Zealand. This equates to about 5 million items every year. These essentials are Food (breakfast, lunch, and snacks every day for 40,000 school kids), Clothing (fleece-lined jackets, shoes, and socks), and Health Products.

Laura chose KidsCan as her charity of choice

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Give from the heart, Blake Currie’s choice of charity is the Heart Foundation. Blake loves to be active, and believes that all of New Zealand’s people should stand a chance against our nation’s single biggest killer, heart disease. Smart Pack are proud to support Heart Foundation and the incredible work they do.

In New Zealand, 170,000 people are living with heart disease, and every 90 minutes, a New Zealander dies from this disease. This means almost 1 in 3 deaths in New Zealand are caused by cardiovascular disease. Many of these deaths are premature and preventable. Heart Foundation’s mission is to stop all people in New Zealand dying prematurely from heart disease, and to enable people with the disease to live full lives. Since 1968, the Heart Foundation has donated $82 million to the research of heart disease.

We wanted to do our bit by getting involved in this awesome initiative, as we feel that by donating to this cause, we can show our support and help save Kiwis lives by funding research.

Blake chose Heart Foundation as his charity of choice

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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As the year draws to a close and Summer holidays are nearly upon us, it was rather fitting that Joe was drawn to Coastguard NZ as his charity of choice. Joe Wycherley, who is our Operations Manager, loves the outdoors and believes all of New Zealand’s people should feel safe on the water. Coastguard NZ is ‘the charity saving lives at sea’, and Smart Pack are proud to support Coastguard NZ and the incredible work they do.

Coastguard NZ’s rescue crews are made up of approx. 1,988 volunteers, who are organised, trained and equipped 24/7. They are the primary maritime search and rescue service in New Zealand. These professional volunteers dedicate a huge amount of their free time to helping keep their fellow Kiwis alive on the water. We are so grateful to have people willing to give up their time to help others, and feel that by donating to this cause, we can do our bit to show our support.

Coastguard NZ has 63 units across the country, made up of two communications units, two air patrol units, and 59 ‘wet’ units who crew rescue vessels.

We wanted to do our bit by getting involved in this awesome initiative, which helps keep Kiwis safe on the water, by providing education (like boating courses) and lifesaving rescue services.

Happy Holidays New Zealand!

Joe chose Coastguard NZ as his charity of choice

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Giving back comes from the heart and showing others we care. So, when asked to make her charity of choice, Phoenix Currie (Marketing Coordinator and International Purchasing Support) was drawn to Diabetes NZ, as it’s a cause very close to her heart. Phoenix’s now 2-year-old cousin, Sakura, suddenly went into a coma (ketoacidosis caused by hyperglycemia, which is very high blood sugar levels) when she was 7 months old. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and her family have since learnt how to manage this by knowing when to check Sakura’s blood glucose levels, and to administer the correct amount of insulin when needed.

‘Together we can help Kiwis with Diabetes live well.’

Diabetes NZ’s mission is to ‘lead, champion and advocate for change to reduce the incidence of diabetes, improved diabetes health care, and empower those affected by or at risk of diabetes to lead healthy, active lives.’ Diabetes NZ has been supporting Kiwis with information and resources to help identify and manage diabetes symptoms for more than 50 years.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, that lets glucose pass from the blood stream into the cells of the body, in order to produce energy. Not being able to produce insulin, or use it effectively, leads to raised glucose levels in the blood. Long-term effects of high glucose levels are damage to the body, and failure of various organs and tissues.

Phoenix chose Diabetes NZ as her charity of choice

This year, Sunday the 14th of November was World Diabetes Day, and November is also Diabetes Action Month. We wanted to do our bit by getting involved in this awesome initiative, which helps this charity continue to represent and support people with Diabetes.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Giving back is about being able to better the lives of the people around you. So, when asked to make her charity of choice, Donna Marshall was drawn to the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. Breast Cancer is a cause close to her heart as she is surrounded by so many wonderful women that have positively impacted her life. Donna is our Customer Service Team Leader and she is always willing to go out of her way to make customers happy, so it’s fitting that she wants to help others in need. Donating to this cause assists in further research and support for those undergoing diagnosis or treatment.

‘Towards zero deaths’

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s vision is zero deaths from breast cancer. They believe that by pushing for new frontiers in early detection, treatment and support, they can turn their vision into reality. Breast cancer is still the most common cancer for women in New Zealand. Every year, around 3,300 Kiwis are told they have breast cancer, and each year, 650 women die from breast cancer.

Donna (third from the left), chose Breast Cancer Foundation NZ as her charity of choice

Every year, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This year, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s annual Pink Ribbon Appeal and Pink Ribbon Walk were cancelled due to Covid-19. We still wanted to do our bit by helping them make their dream a reality. Getting involved in this awesome initiative helps keep breast cancer research, education and patient support programs running.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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In a world where you can be anything, be kind. Here at Smart Pack we believe that true kindness is all about giving back where we can. Theo Pearce, who is part of our Production Team, chose Arthritis NZ as his charity of choice. When Theo isn’t in the warehouse, he loves spending his free time on the soccer field, and believes all of New Zealand’s people should have a chance to be pain free and enjoy the outdoors. He wanted to do his bit by helping make dreams become a reality.

‘Improving the life of every person affected by Arthritis.’

Arthritis NZ is a national not-for-profit organisation, focused on raising awareness and providing advice and support. Arthritis is a term that covers more than 140 conditions that affect joints. Some types of Arthritis affect the skin and internal organs as well. People of all ages can get Arthritis, including infants, it is a chronic condition with no cure. Arthritis NZ helps out by advocating for people with Arthritis, providing training courses, conducting research, and offering local and online support groups.

This year, World Arthritis Day took place on Tuesday the 12th of October. We wanted to do our bit by getting involved in this awesome initiative.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Here at Smart Pack, we believe that true kindness comes through giving back and helping others in need. It was Staci’s turn to choose which charity Smart Pack should donate to and of course, the SPCA was top of mind! She has a desire to help animals as they are unable to help themselves easily. She encourages her children to help take care of them and they often foster abandoned animals that are found on the farm. “You have not lived today, until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”

‘Speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.’

The SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) was founded in England in 1824 and is the world’s oldest animal welfare organisation. They have been protecting New Zealand’s animals for over 140 years. Every year, the SPCA helps 35,000 animals who are sick, injured, abused, or abandoned. They also provided 2,127 primary and intermediate schools with 6 copies of each of their books about animal welfare, free of charge. Animals at the SPCA receive health checks, vaccinations, and microchips, which all cannot be done without help from donations.

Staci Jelliman chose the SPCA as her charity of choice

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity.
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Here at Smart Pack, we believe that true kindness comes through helping other Kiwis in need. We endeavour to give back to the community, and that’s why we created our new Caring For Our Community Initiative. As part of this initiative, each employee has selected a NZ charity of their choice, and every 24 days (or less), Smart Pack commits to donate to a selected employee’s charity on their behalf. Our Managing Director, Leon Currie, was the 2nd person to choose a charity. Leon’s selected charity is Cancer Society, who Smart Pack are proud to support. Read more about the incredible work this charity does below:

‘Cancer doesn’t stop, so we won’t either.’

Every year, 25,000+ New Zealander’s are diagnosed with cancer. The Cancer Society believes that no one should go through their cancer journey alone. Whether it’s driving someone to their treatment, providing advice to someone who has rung their 0800 number, or sitting with them during their treatment – the Cancer Society is there. But they can’t do this without help. Every dollar raised for Daffodil Day goes towards cancer care for patients and their whānau, education and awareness programmes, and life-saving cancer research. Our contribution to this amazing organisation helps make a difference to the lives of many Kiwis, and ensures no one in New Zealand has to go through cancer alone.

Leon Currie chose Cancer Society as his charity of choice

Due to Covid-19, Cancer Society’s annual Daffodil Day Street Appeal (27th of August) was cancelled this year. We wanted to do our bit by getting involved in this awesome initiative online instead.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity and their initiative.
Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to see more of what we do.

Here at Smart Pack, we believe that true kindness comes through helping other Kiwis in need. We endeavour to give back to the community, and that’s why we created our new Caring For Our Community Initiative. As part of this new initiative, each employee has selected a NZ charity of their choice, and every 24 days (or less), Smart Pack commits to donate to a selected employee’s charity on their behalf. The first employee selected is Dallas Tautu, our Warehouse and Logistics Manager. Dallas’s selected charity is Cure Kids, who Smart Pack are proud to support. Read more about the incredible work this charity does below:

Funding Child Health Research – Big Research For Little Lives

For more than 45 years, Cure Kids has been funding New Zealand researcher’s to find better treatments and cures for serious health conditions and illnesses that affect thousands of children. Our contribution to this amazing organisation helps make a difference to the lives of Kiwi kids, and ensure medical research can continue to improve health outcomes for children. Cure Kids have funded, or are currently funding, research to find better treatments and cures for inherited heart conditions, cystic fibrosis, childhood cancers, sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI), stillbirth, burns, epilepsy, and child/adolescent mental health, among many others. Since 1971, Cure Kids has invested more than $60 million in New Zealand research. They are the largest funder of child health research outside the government.

Meet one of Cure Kid’s ambassador’s:

Dallas Tautu chose Cure Kids as his charity of choice

Red Nose Day is Cure Kid’s biggest annual fundraising appeal. This year, it took place on Friday the 30th of July. We wanted to do our bit by getting our workplace involved in this awesome initiative.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this charity and their initiative.
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We are proud to be New Zealand owned and operated, and believe that true kindness comes through helping other Kiwis in need. We endeavour to give back to our community, it makes our hearts happy. Smart Pack works closely with RRT (Rapid Relief Team) and donate not only financially but through our spare time too. We actively get involved in community projects, by packaging food boxes, and assisting with fund raising – we are rather good at cooking sausage sizzles! Causes RRT work with:

Emergency & Disaster Relief

When natural disasters unfold, you can count on the Rapid Relief Team to be on the front-line, serving emergency service personnel with quality food and refreshments, and providing tangible support to those in need.

Homelessness

RRT has a heart for the homeless, and supports homeless missions across the globe by serving meals and donating blankets and other essential items.

Youth

RRT volunteers help bring joy into the life of disadvantaged youth, by supporting youth-focused charities that empower young people to grow beyond adversities.

Health & Disability

When it comes to health and disability, RRT steps in to support government and charitable organisations that raise vital funds and awareness for related causes.

In addition, thousands of Kiwi families are struggling to make ends meet with continual rising costs of housing, schooling and everyday food necessities. Sadly, this often results in family violence and situations where police become involved. The RRT Food Box is an alternative way that Police Officers can help bring relief to families in need. RRT donate Food Boxes to various Police stations throughout New Zealand, and these are handed to vulnerable families in times of desperate need.

Feel free to contact us should you want to know more, or find out more about this incredible organisation.
Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to see more of what we do.