Victory is in sight for the Volunteer Student Army
Tomorrow, Friday, will be the last day the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) is mobilised en masse – from here on in the
effort will shift to the rear guard, Squadrons and Street Team. To celebrate comedians and musicians will descend on
UCSA carpark tomorrow afternoon.
SVA field team leader, Sam Johnson, says today we had 550 volunteers focusing on Bexley and nearby suburbs. “Tomorrow
we’ll have three teams focused on cleaning up school grounds, one bus load will help clean up a retirement home, two bus
loads of volunteers will head back into Bexley and a bus load each to Shirley and Burwood to clean up isolated deposits
of silt.
We’re encouraging everyone to turn up at 8am for breakfast, we’ll then deploy and take the city back from the silt
before returning to UCSA for a victory party. “Every single volunteer has worked so hard to restore normality to
Christchurch’s suburbs, I’m extremely proud to have been involved. We’ll have comedians and musicians, food and drinks
in the carpark – all of which has been donated.”
Today 294 Squadrons, made up of three to five people who have their own transport and equipment, were assigned jobs
registered on SVA website, www.sva.org.nz. SVA IT head Jonas Bergler, says “today was a huge effort, we deployed our largest number of squadrons to date and we
received help from Federated Farmers. “We still have 700 jobs left and those that aren’t completed tomorrow will be
completed next week. “We’ll be taking the weekend off though as many of us have been working non stop since last
Wednesday.”
The third part of our operation, Street Team, provides face-to-face information to eastern suburb residents who are
still without services. SVA head quarter’s team leader, Louis Brown, says today 140 troops delivered 70,000 new
informative MSD fliers to residents in New Brighton, Aranui, Bexley, Wainoni and Avonside. They also gave donated baking
goods to residents as well. To date 300,000 information pamphlets from various organisations have been delivered across
the city.
Volunteers wanting to take part in the Army do not have to be students, but do need to have some identification.
Tomorrow’s muster is at 8am in the UCSA car park, 90 Ilam Road. People of all ages and abilities, including those unable
to wield a shovel, will be welcomed with open arms.
ENDS