Food charities say they have seen a big increase in people needing food parcels. One says people even fight for food outside community pantries. National poverty critical St Vincent de Paul’s Hamilton manager, Mike Rolton (pictured), says New Zealand is currently experiencing poverty on a level unknown in modern times. “Six years ago we gave Read more
Food parcel demand is surging in Hamilton as Covid lockdown restrictions start to bite across the city. At St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies) Hamilton, demand for food parcels has increased fourfold since the start of level 4 restrictions, general manager Mike Rolton says. “Normally we’d do 20 family food parcels per day on average but, Read more
A Sikh volunteer group is among the many volunteer groups delivering food to people self-isolating. They have reported that one family, they have helped had not eaten properly for days. Auckland-based organiser Harpreet Singh said the group had recruited volunteers and planned operations in Auckland, Christchurch, Napier, Whangārei and Hamilton. Singh said the group, a Read more
There have been twenty tonnes of produce re-distributed in an in a single month by the volunteers at Kiwi Community Assistance That’s the amount of various foods no longer wanted on shop shelves and redistributed in September. Continue reading
The Auckland City Mission began its annual distribution of food parcels and presents last week. City Missioner Diane Robertson said the lines for Christmas parcels first started forming at 4.30am. On Friday, the line stretched from the mission on Hobson Street to St Matthew’s Church. Ms Robertson said many people rely on the parcels. Auckland Read more
Welfare services in Invercargill are being stretched to their limits with an almost 200 per cent increase in food parcels needed from the Salvation Army for struggling residents during the past year. Invercargill Salvation Army Captain Russell Garbett said the national Red Shield Appeal was launched yesterday and it was hoped people would donate to Read more
A Whangarei church will feed a record 750 low-income families this Christmas, albeit in a different way.
The Elim Christian Centre, formerly known as the Equip Church, will deliver food packs to needy families in Whangarei rather than organising a Christmas dinner which it did previously.
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A five-year doctoral study by Waikato University sociologist Dr Kellie McNeill has found that charities served 25,000 free meals, Work and Income gave out 12,000 food grants and foodbanks gave out 4,000 food parcels in Hamilton in 2006-07. That was at a time when the economy was booming. National statistics suggest the recession may have roughly doubled Read more