VANZ News Issue 5
A Message from the Minister
Hon Judith Collins, Minister of Veterans’ Affairs
This is the time of year when we reflect and remember those who have served our country and who have given their lives in the name of peace and freedom. The poppy has come to symbolise their courage, their commitment to duty and their sacrifice.
Every year, tens of thousands of New Zealanders wear the poppy to keep the memory of these brave men and women alive, but also to provide ongoing support for veterans and their families.
The Poppy Day Appeal provides the RSA with funds to provide a wide range of welfare services for returned men and women in the area in which the funds were raised. Each RSA has a Welfare Officer who is available to help veterans find out more about financial assistance.Help might include monetary grants for those in financial difficulty, help to provide glasses, hearing aids and essential dental work, specialist medical appointments as well as surgery, hospital and home visits for veterans. Recipients need not be members of an RSA to benefit from Poppy Day Appeal assistance, but must be returned services’ personnel or their dependants in need. It is this kind of financial and practical help that makes the RSA such a respected and trusted organisation in our community.
Many thousands of New Zealanders give generously in the knowledge that funds raised from Poppy Day do so much good.