Sarita Love, of Milton, met husband Braidy through a mutual friend in Dunedin in 2013.
Mrs Love said she and Braidy — then a Waihola farmer — bonded through a shared love of rural living and community service in the shape of working for Red Cross Disaster Welfare & Support.
The couple still live on a former run-off block outside Milton, where they tend to a small herd of cows, alongside busy day jobs.
Mrs Love said she knew only a little about Red Cross before she met her husband-to-be.
However, her association was to become something of an epic journey to the highest levels of governance and strategy-shaping within the New Zealand and Asia-Pacific arms of the long-standing global humanitarian organisation.
"Braidy was already involved with Red Cross Disaster Support and, after he got to know me a little, he said it was something that would fit my interests and goals in life. So I went along to my first meeting in May 2013, and never looked back."
A little over a decade later — just this past weekend, in fact — the Dunedin-born 32-year-old stepped away from an intensive spell as NZ Red Cross national board youth representative and chairwoman of the Asia-Pacific Youth Network.
"Unfortunately I’m no longer defined as a youth, although it’s also the right time to let others step up and carry on the amazing work NZ Red Cross does both here and abroad.
"I’m proud that I’ve supported the wider region’s youth network through a period of significant change as we move to engage more and more young people through our Strategy 2030.
"During the past few years, we’ve brought youth voices into our councils with a youth-integrated approach, streamlined the youth governance arm of NZ Red Cross, and improved youth engagement from just 2% to 11% of members within New Zealand.
"We’ve now got the future of the organisation coming through, and shaping where Red Cross is going nationally and globally."
Mrs Love said Red Cross and its affiliated organisations had 16million volunteers worldwide, engaged in a wide range of disaster support activities that were today more essential than ever, given the conflicts the world was seeing. Local activities on the ground were just as critical for their communities, such as support for those affected in the South by recent flooding, she said.
"We engage in outreach to affected people — door-knocking, and providing psychosocial, first-aid and practical support for those affected by disasters.
"Red Cross as an organisation is totally neutral and impartial, unaffiliated with any religion or government, and that independence is essential in allowing us to do so much more for people everywhere in the world."
"I work for Clutha Development, so have another strong connection to our rural communities through that, and obviously through Braidy and his family.
"My happy place is out in the paddock with the cows, just sitting in silence. It refills my cup."
Her work with Red Cross had also taken her overseas.
"I’ve been lucky to visit Italy, Switzerland, Vietnam and the Philippines during my tenure.
"It’s been an amazing journey with Red Cross, and I’ll continue to volunteer locally and do whatever I can.
"Red Cross will always be at the forefront of supporting those who need it most. We’ll always show up."
