Verna was the first donor to the Eastern Bay Community Foundation. She says "it was a no brainer", and that her chosen recipients will gain far more in the long term, than if she just wrote out a cheque. Verna spent her early years growing up in the district with her farming family. She is a passionate advocate for preserving the past, and regularly volunteers her time and knowledge to assist the Heritage Museum in Opotiki. Her annual gift to the museum has helped them to fund easier access for people who are compromised in their ability to get around, and has also provided temperature controlled cabinets for displayiung light and heat sensitive objects in some of the rare collections that form a key part of the dynamic displays within the museum that draw visitors from around New Zealand and across the world.

Every third year the interest earned on Verna's fund is gifted to the Opotiki De Luxe Theatre, such a grand old lady sitting firmly on the towns main Church Street, that hosts amongst other events, an annual silent film festival and also attracts many visitors to local functions and festivals held within its walls.

Verna's foresight will ensure that this is a gift that keeps on giving, and will continue to provide improvements year on year to ensure the past in the Opotiki District is not forgotten.