Thousands of Auckland families are forced to feed themselves on about $6:50 a meal this winter, Auckland City Mission says. Its Social Services general manager Helen Robinson (pictured above) said that, for many families, once they had paid rent, debts, power, transport and medical costs, there was little left to spend on food. Robinson said that an economist’s assessment Read more
Mayor Phil Goff wants to pump an extra $5 million into the Auckland City Mission, to help with the construction costs of its new building on Hobson St. That building, to be called HomeGround, will contain accommodation, health services and community facilities. Demolition of the old City Mission buildings has already begun. Continue reading
The Auckland City Mission has begun relocating its entire operation. It is shifting to a temporary site so the existing building in Hobson St can be upgraded. Its accommodation, food bank, medical centre and other services will be located a few blocks away at 23 Union Street until a $90 million redevelopment is completed. The Read more
Catholic bishops from Oceania meeting in Auckland last week visited the City Mission and served meals to the homeless, the mentally unwell and those suffering economic deprivation. “This was a humbling experience during which we felt deeply Christ’s call to sit and walk alongside those who struggle or find themselves on the margins of society,” Read more
The Auckland City Mission is bursting at the seams and crying out for help as it is inundated with desperate need. The charity has been struggling since May and Auckland City Missioner Chris Farrelly said they’ve been at full capacity for weeks and can’t see it letting up anytime soon. “The sharp edge of poverty Read more
Auckland City Missioner, Chris Farrelly, has written to the New Zealand Herald saying he was “troubled immensely” by the comments on Facebook about a story featuring a solo mother of six. The story was part of the Mission’s Mothers’ Day fundraising campaign. “It was at odds with what I know of the brave and resilient Read more
Chris Farrelly says collaboration is the only way to fix Auckland’s poverty cycle. Farrelly began as CEO of the Auckland City Mission on 1 June. “It’s no one organisation, no one political party, no one government, no matter what can do this, it’s a whole community” “We work all the time, day in, day out Read more
Two formerly homeless men have become stars in a fundraising video for the Auckland City Mission that lets viewers see the world through the eyes of a rough sleeper. Rob Smith and Richard Turipa, both 36, were picked to make the film because they are members of the Mission’s Hobson Street Theatre Company. “It was Read more
The homeless population of central Auckland is two-and-a-half times higher than it was three years ago, a new report says. The Auckland City Street Count of Central Auckland has found 177 people were sleeping rough within 3km of the Sky Tower on a single night this year. That’s the most recorded since the count began Read more
Patrons of the Auckland City Mission are bringing an original script to the stage. Op Shop Dreams is a play about the ways in which people dream of a life different to their own. It’s being performed by The Hobson Street Theatre Company, a City Mission initiative which gives people, including the homeless, opportunities to Read more