Hummingbird & The Student Volunteer Army Partnership
01 Dec 2022
The Student Volunteer Army originated after Christchurch was struck by a major earthquake in September 2010, and grew following the more devastating spate of earthquakes throughout 2011. Founder, Sam Johnson, mobilised more than 10,000 University of Canterbury students and members of the wider Canterbury community to clean up liquefaction around homes and assist residents who were displaced or needed additional support.
Today, SVA’s services incorporate clubs at all major New Zealand universities as well as a range of initiatives designed to foster the spirit of volunteering throughout Aotearoa. Now operating as a charitable trust, the SVA has a database of 27,000 individuals.
Crisis response work by SVA has continued post-quakes and included working alongside councils and emergency response leaders in Nelson following the devastating flooding event. Another initiative during the Covid-19 pandemic saw the SVA providing grocery and shopping services for people throughout New Zealand who were concerned about leaving their homes.
This support is all made possible from the Hummingbird Green Bean Fund, where every $100 of green coffee beans that Hummingbird buys, we donate $1 back into local community initiatives right here in New Zealand. Giving back to the community and supporting those who support us are core values to both Hummingbird and SVA, which make this the perfect partnership.
To volunteer with The Student Volunteer Army, sign up on their website today!
Image credit: Neil MacBeth
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