A meeting in Oamaru yesterday morning shared ideas on how the Waitaki community could best help earthquake-stricken Christchurch.
The Waitaki District Council has agreed to co-ordinate activities through its Civil Defence system and members of the public were encouraged to contact the council if they were able to assist.
Both the Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust in Chelmer St and the Salvation Army were accepting donations of food and clothing.
St Kevin's College and Waitaki Boys' High School have offered emergency accommodation in their boarding hostels.
A family of five from Christchurch - a great-grandmother, grandmother, mother and her two children - arrived at the St Kevin's girls' hostel at 12.30am yesterday "pretty shaken up", hostel director Justin Fowler said.
They were heading to family in Winton, could not find a bed in Timaru and were contemplating sleeping in their car.
Some of the boarders got out of bed and made up beds, and hot drinks were provided for the very grateful family.
They had breakfast with some of the girls before continuing south.
Many of the district's schools will be drop-off points for non-perishable food items to cater for the expected influx of families heading south.
They include Weston, Duntroon, St Joseph's, Waitaki Valley, Glenavy, Papakaio, Ardgowan, Maheno and Oamaru Intermediate schools.
Five people affected by the earthquake had presented to Oamaru Hospital's emergency department.
Three were from Oamaru and two were from Christchurch but had Oamaru connections.
One was admitted to hospital for observation.
One patient was transferred to Oamaru on Tuesday, as part of an attempt to make space available at Christchurch Hospital.
The hospital had made 10 beds available, if needed, for transfers from Christchurch and a team of nurses and doctors was on standby to go to Christchurch if required.
An ecumenical service will be held at the Oamaru Opera House on Sunday at 4pm, with the theme "we are all in this together".
A collection will be taken for the Bob Parker Mayoralty Fund.
Waitaki Valley School has postponed the official opening of its new school building, which was to have been tomorrow.
