A market day at Sheaffs Rest Home has raised $1100 for flood relief in Te Araroa.

The rest home also donated 12 boxes full of linen, clothes of all sizes, jigsaws and crafts to the East Coast community severely impacted by flooding from torrential rainfall in late January.

Twenty-seven homes on East Cape Road were cut off from the rest of town, various homes were damaged and some residents had to evacuate.

At the market day, the rest home resident sold fruit, avocados, cake slices and biscuits, as well as soups, clothes, books and lots of plants.

Residents and staff also made plum jams, pickles and other preserves to sell, with a lot of the produce coming from the rest home garden.

Sheaffs has been fundraising for years for different causes in the Whakatāne community, including helping two patients with leukaemia and raising money for hospice.

Diversional therapist Twinette Tautau said this was the first time they had helped outside the Whakatāne area.

The money raised was donated to the Manaaki Matakaoa group, which has been helping with flood relief in Te Araroa.

Ms Tautau said there were tears from Sheena Luke, the operations manager from Manaaki Matakāoa, when she came to pick up the donated goods.

Residents were happy they could help with the flood relief and said they got “cuddles” from Ms Luke.

Ms TauTau would like to thank staff, friends, residents and all the family members for all their support and their kindness during the market day and leading up to it.