Following the voluntary liquidation of Telford operator Taratahi last month, pay was suspended for the majority of the Balclutha agricultural institute's staff on January 9.
The pay freeze spurred Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan and local list MP Mark Patterson to launch a Givealittle page to support staff in financial hardship, while a rescue package for Telford was formulated.
Telford operations manager Lisa Snell, whose father-in-law Rodney Snell was the first principal of the establishment, said staff had wanted to repay the generosity and support they had received from the South Otago community.
A working bee at the Balclutha Community Garden was arranged this morning, where about a dozen Telford staff pooled together to carry out landscaping and weeding work.
Mrs Snell said the event had helped boost morale for staff struggling under the pressure of the situation.
"You try and remain optimistic, and the spirit of the team has been amazing under the circumstances, but sometimes the uncertainty can get to you. These are people with mortgages and families to support."
She said Telford retained a "fantastic" reputation for the quality of its graduates, 99% of whom found work on conclusion of their studies.
"Telford engenders a lot of loyalty among staff, students and the wider community, and we're just here today to repay a bit of that loyalty in kind."
Mrs Snell said she remained "optimistic" of a successful resolution to Telford's difficulties.
Invercargill tertiary provider SIT submitted a bid to assume operations of the institute to Education Minister Chris Hipkins on Friday, which the ministry yesterday said was being worked on "as quickly as possible".
