For two decades, Multicultural Aoraki has been helping migrants settle in South Canterbury.
General manager Nils Macfarlane said the organisation would be marking the milestone with a celebration dinner.
He said the dinner would be a nod to the organisation’s inception, when 450 guests had attended an event held in 2005 to raise money for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami — which had resulted in over 250,000 casualties across several countries.
Guests had been encouraged to wear their cultural costumes and bring their food.
The night had been a huge success and afterward — due to a lot of demand — a committee was formed (which would later become Aoraki Migrant Centre) and they met at a church hall monthly for shared potluck meals.
People who attended those potlucks brought their food and shared stories of why they had come to New Zealand, and about their journey, share.
‘‘Over the past two decades, we’ve worked to make our district a place where everyone feels welcome, connected, and proud to call home.’’
He said founding members were ‘‘definitely’’ encouraged to attend.
‘‘Come reminisce, and see what legacy they started.’’
He thought it was great to acknowledge the work past members had done, but it was also important to look to the future on how they could make South Canterbury an even better place for the whole community.
He encouraged workplaces to come along, and see how they could make settling in the area easier for their workmates or employees and also to let them know Multicultural Aoraki was there to offer pastoral care.
Engaging directly with the organisation would allow people to settle into the community more quickly.
The dinner would be a cultural buffet of food from Samoa, China, Syria and India, all cooked by community members from those countries.
While the night was open to all, numbers needed to be known for catering purposes, so it would be good if people bought tickets as soon as possible.
He said for local businesses giving a voucher or product for the charity auction was a fantastic way to showcase their offerings to an engaged audience while also helping raise funds for a good cause.
The event would be held from 6pm on Friday, September 5 at the Caroline Bay Hall.
Tickets could be bought from Multicultural Aoraki’s office in Latter St for $50.
For assistance contact Multicultural Aoraki on (03) 687-7332.
