Every week another 300 families struggling to put food on the table are turning to the Salvation Army for help, the organisation says.
In the year to September, it recorded a 7 percent increase in requests for food parcels compared to the previous year – the biggest rise since 2011.
In some regions, including Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki and Southland, food parcel requests had increased by 30 percent.
Community ministries secretary Pam Waugh said the difficulty of securing affordable housing, mounting debts and bills were factors. Continue reading