A charitable trust in Invercargill that trains and employs those with intellectual challenges is hoping for support to be able to buy land they grow food on.
The garden is the food basket of Invercargill's Koha Kai, the first-ever ASB Good as Gold recipient dating back six years.
But the organisation stands to lose the section in the next year as it’s on land owned by the Order of Dominican Sisters and the money's needed to cover the retirement and aged care costs of the 27 sisters remaining in Invercargill, Dunedin and Auckland.
"We have been here for five of the seven years that we have existed,” Janice Lee of the Koha Kai Charitable Trust said.
"The thought of losing it is devastating."
Lee has not given up hope that the money can be raised to buy the 2.5 hectares of land.
“My heart tells me that with the support of the community, this is every bit achievable. This is every bit achievable,” she said.
“This is Invercargill prices… We are talking an amount of $600,000 to secure it for the community.
“The very fact I am sitting in front of a camera, which I never dreamt I would be doing, is my hope that someone is listening and someone is responding to a call."
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