Her efforts with Multicultural Aoraki have been recognised by becoming the first recipient of a new Volunteer of the Month award.
Multicultural Aoraki general manager Nils Macfarlane said he had nominated Kate because of her dedication and commitment to the organisation over the past 20 years.
"Kate, alongside others, founded the organisation and has remained an integral part of it ever since, not only as a board member but also through her extensive volunteer work.
"She contributes countless hours to the coffee group, festivals and citizenship ceremonies, helping to create a supportive and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds.
"Kate truly embodies the values of Multicultural Aoraki, ensuring that everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued within our community."
Kate was not sitting comfortably with the recognition.
"Everyone rows the waka," she said.
When a dinner was held to celebrate diversity and raise money after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami — which had resulted in over 250,000 casualties across several countries — Kate had been one of the 450 guests who had attended.
Guests had been encouraged to wear their cultural costumes and bring their food.
The night was a huge success and afterward — due to a lot of demand — a committee was formed (which would later become Aoraki Migrant Centre) and they would meet at a church hall monthly for shared pot luck meals.
People who attended those potlucks would bring their food and share stories of why they had come to New Zealand, and about their journey.
Later on, after spotting a need for a social day time group, they hosted coffee groups.
The jewellery was sourced from newspaper advertisements asking for old broken jewellery, which the coffee group members would take apart and recreate into different pieces while they chatted.
Kate said the different cultures at the gatherings meant there were always different styles and ways of creating.
The money made provided just enough to cover the basics to keep the group going.
That had carried on until it became too hard to continue without funding, and they were forced to establish an organisation.
She said none of them had established an organisation before, and it was overwhelming walking into empty offices wondering where to start, but the community soon got to know they were there.
In earlier days Kate had volunteered fulltime, but these days she had found a better balance.
Wednesday morning’s coffee group remained an "absolute" for her.
She said the coffee group was all about connecting people.
Some newly arrived migrants arrived at the group possibly not knowing anyone, but left with phone numbers and offers of assistance.
"It’s just connecting the dots."
A lot of encounters had been etched in her memory over the years, and one particular woman’s comment she remembered often.
Kate had been approached by the woman in town to find out the time.
The woman had been waiting for her husband to collect her as he was a working on a dairy farm in Temuka and could not be late.
Kate had gone to have coffee with the woman while she waited.
She could remember asking her what she did each day while her husband was busy working long hours on the farm.
And she simply said, "I cook, I clean and I wait."
Kate had thought it was sad that no-one had thought to ask her if she might want a ride to town.
"You can live in a community, but you have to feel part of it before you start to thrive."
The organisation nowadays promoted the importance of the family of migrants.
If the wife and children were looked after and felt like people were interested in them, then they would thrive.
She said for some immigrants they might feel very conspicuous when they were walking through town.
"Forget where you are from and realise that we are all just people on a journey, we all want the same things."
She said when giving time to migrants settling in the area: "You always receive far more than what you give."
