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Tricia Street, Napier

Tricia has a passion for the poor, and is in charge of 31 'Love Loafs' for World Vision in the Napier area. These Love Loafs are small collection boxes which Tricia has distributed to businesses and organisations around the city, in which people can deposit their small change.

Tricia has the most donation boxes for any volunteer with World Vision. Each month she banks about $500 from these money boxes, which gives an extra $6000 every year to World Vision, and that money goes a long way to help the poor.

This kind of 'undesignated' income gives World Vision a huge capacity to start new projects, to match Government funding for specific projects, and to respond to emergencies as they arise.

Tricia has inspired many other people to get involved as volunteers.

For Tricia it was ill health that led her out of her busy job as a legal executive, and into volunteering for World Vision. Six years ago she was struck down with ME, and couldn't work - couldn't even walk initially. "Then as I got better, I started doing love loafs, and I just kept seeing more and more places where they could be placed, and it just grew!" she says.

She has placed love loafs in supermarkets, garages, bakeries and even some post shops. "And next year there's another supermarket opening here," she says gleefully. Supermarkets rate highly with Tricia; one has five love loafs and another has six.

It takes her three days to collect all the money from the love loafs, and she gets her grandchildren to help her. They love counting the money too, which she then banks.

Tricia Street is truly inspirational, like so many World Vision volunteers. Thanks, Trish - we do appreciate you!

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