Crisis Response

Born out of crisis

The Student Volunteer Army (SVA) arose from a community drive to help recovery in the wake of the 2010 Christchurch earthquake.

Now with over 33,500 registered volunteers, we have evolved to become leaders of second wave crisis response, helping communities recover after disaster.

Over the past decade, we’ve supported clean-up and recovery after eight major national crises - from collecting and delivering groceries during the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 to operating major clean-up operations after the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods, closely followed by Cyclone Gabrielle, in 2023.

Revolutionizing crisis response

Extreme weather events in Aotearoa are becoming more frequent and intense. Yet, only two in five New Zealanders feel well prepared for a disaster, with lack of information and knowledge the biggest barrier to disaster preparedness.

SVA seeks to develop community resilience and preparedness, as well as support community recovery, by:

  • Providing our university clubs with ongoing training, resources and equipment to respond safely and quickly in a crisis

  • Recruiting and mobilising high volumes of volunteers to support and deliver a wide range of tasks in multiple locations across Aotearoa.

  • Working with local and national bodies to deliver safe and effective spontaneous volunteer management in a crisis situation.

Ten years on…


Take a look at our ten year anniversary video, remembering the 22nd February 2011 and reflecting on the impact of over our first ever major mobilisation.

It’s true that, in times of crisis, we often see the best of people - and the formation of SVA demonstrated the power of community in droves.

A decade later, we’re still empowering volunteers across Aotearoa.

Auckland Anniversary 2023

SVA played a pivotal role in Auckland's crisis response to the Auckland Anniversary flooding. We identified 287 separate properties with a range of needs by door knocking at over 1,500 properties and a coordinated media campaign. This was made possible by the swift creation of thorough processes and health and safety briefings ensuring that all individuals deployed had suitable PPE and understanding of the risks.

SVA’s day-to-day Crisis Response programme is funded in part by Hummingbird Coffee. Their financial contribution allows SVA to respond to crises with the appropriate equipment and infrastructure.

Stories from crisis

  • Jake, SVA Auckland President 2022-23

    “In November 2022, at the SVA Clubs Conference, we examined SVA’s role in disaster cleanup in the past, and worked through scenarios of what could happen if a major disaster hit Auckland. The night the Auckland Anniversary flood started, while I was looking out at people kayaking down my street, I had already started to send texts and emails trying to pull together volunteers and work out what needed to be done - and when we’d be able to do it safely.”

    During the Auckland floods, SVA was one of two not-for-profit groups operating in Auckland to receive direct taskings from the local council. Alongside these referrals, we identified 287 separate properties with a range of needs by door-knocking at over 1,500 properties and running a coordinated media campaign. This was made possible by the swift creation of thorough processes and health and safety briefings ensuring that all individuals deployed had suitable PPE and understanding of the risks.

  • Matt, Service Award Nelson

    “In 2022, my town Nelson was hit by a one-in-100 year flood. The flooding affected quite a lot of our community. A lot of people out there were struggling to get support for the clean up. I knew that more could be done.

    We managed to get a contact from Civil Defence in Nelson and we had some incredible support from the UC SVA Club. We were surprised with the amount of addresses we got through, which was particularly due to the number of people who turned up - around 80-90 total over two weekends.”

    Matt Donald, then a Year 12 Student at Nelson College, has been part of the SVA Service Award for years, learning the importance of volunteering by logging hours coaching and tree-planting. When the time came for him to mobilise his fellow students to respond to a crisis, he was ready.

  • Caitlin, SVA Auckland President 2024

    “During flood recovery, we were only able to send volunteers out safely with donated PPE, and only able to keep operations running because of donations.

    Even amongst the chaos, I will always remember how connected everyone was. We were all from different parts of Auckland, with different backgrounds and stories, people who had never met, yet we all worked together that day like we were old co-workers.”

    When Cyclone Gabrielle hit in February 2023, our team was ready and continued to work seven days a week to keep those affected by the flooding as safe as possible.

    Once the impact in Hawke’s Bay was understood, SVA partnered with Task Force Kiwi and supported expert volunteers clearing debris with chainsaws and diggers in the community. When it was safe to do so, a team of student volunteers traveled down and joined the effort to assist with cleaning up the homes of those who had lost everything.

  • Madi, SVA Head of Impact

    “Following the Christchurch earthquake, a family friend and I baked sweet treats for the Student Volunteer Army and dropped them off for the team, which was the first time I got to see SVA mobilising post-disaster. It wasn't until years later that I began volunteering directly with SVA.

    I am proud of the work SVA has done through the years. Responding to crises and empowering young people with strength and reliance. Every day the programmes create the same sense of community connectedness I saw firsthand in the days and weeks following the Christchurch earthquake. Which in turn promotes community resilience to future disasters.”

Read more stories