Yvonne Dasler, QSM, Blenheim
For services to the community. For more than 10 years Mrs Dasler has been the convener and driving force behind John’s Kitchen, which provides meals and fellowship for needy families in the Marlborough area. She is Chairperson of the Crossroads Charitable Trust, which was formed in 2008 when John’s Kitchen moved from a church hall into its own premises. The kitchen distributes bread each week, operates a ‘koha café’ every day, and provides two-course dinners to around 80 people every Wednesday night. She has been a trustee of the Marlborough Migrant Centre and the Marlborough Volunteer Centre. She was the Secretary of the Māori Women's Welfare League and for six years was a member of the Ethics Committee of the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board. She is a parish councillor for the Blenheim Methodist Church. A former journalist, Mrs Dasler often gives motivational speeches to schools and community organisations.