Lumsden volunteer pours countless hours into community
The Northern Southland college teacher has been a member of many groups and committees.
Get each Southland Tribune edition sent to your email inbox.
Jeanna Rodgers’ tireless voluntary work has made her an integral thread in the Lumsden community over more than two decades.
On Thursday evening her wonderful contributions were recognised with a Southland District Council/Northern Community Board Community Service Award.
Mayor Rob Scott and community board chair Greg Tither spoke about the immense value Rodgers adds to her township.
The Northern Southland college teacher has been a member of many groups and committees supporting children and youth, often serving as the secretary. She has willingly given countless hours of her time to support activities and education for young people. Just one example is driving young members of Lumsden’s climbing club to Te Anau and Invercargill so they can use the climbing walls there.
Over the years Rodgers has secured several hundred thousand dollars of funding for many community projects and organisations, including the community swimming pool, the Northern Southland Reforestation Trust, and the toy library, as well as providing play equipment for children in the community under the auspices of the LAAMBS (Lumsden and Areas Activities for Miniature Bodies Society) charitable trust.
She is recognised as the first person to offer to land a helping hand at community events and projects.
Mayor Scott said Rodgers was the kind of person who made her community a better place to live in.
Among the many roles and services she has provided for her community are: founding a music and movement group, Plunket car seats, toy library treasurer and grants officer, Playcentre, Friend of Lumsden School secretary, Bibles in Schools, Anglican Church, Ōreti Community Bike Park committee, Northern Southland Amateur Swimming Club, Duke of Edinburgh supervisor at Northern Southland College, college football teams manager, climbing club, kapa haka, Northern Southland Reforestation Trust, Kidzone volunteer, and Northern Southland College PTA secretary.
As secretary of the Northern Southland Community Pool Trust, she voluntarily opens and closes the pool daily.
Rodgers often assists with private childcare and tutoring, and she was a relief teacher at Lumsden’s former Riverstones Early Learning Centre.
At Northern Southland College she offers students access to extracurricular activities, while highlighting her community’s events and activities as a casual reporter for The Southland App.