During the 2020 lockdown, the Soup Kitchen distributed an average of 153 takeaway meals per day.

This year the number of takeaway meals began at 190 and by Monday it had risen to 235.

Soup Kitchen manager Gary Sutton says that in 2020 he estimated that about 200 was the maximum number of meals they could manage.

He has added additional staff to meet the 2021 increased need.

Sutton said he is very grateful for the support of the Wellington City Council.

"So far they have restocked our PPE and remain ready to provide all our needs in this regard. This includes protective coveralls, disposable gloves and face masks; anything we need.

"The council arranged for the awning to be put up to protect the whanau from the weather when they pick up their takeaway meal.

"They did this on Day 3 of lockdown not even waiting for the government to announce the extension!"

The council have also tried, not so successfully, to source takeaway food containers, spoons, forks and paper bags.

"They sourced some items, burger boxes for example, but had trouble sourcing other containers so we have ordered from our usual suppliers and should get additional stock in a few days," said Sutton.

He said their relationship with other partner organisations has also been strengthened during this time, particularly with Wellington City Mission, Wellington Homeless Women's Trust, another women's refuge as well as a marae in Lower Hutt.

"I receive calls regularly from senior Wellington City Mission management thanking us for providing them with 45 hot meals we provide daily for the whanau staying at Te Paapori.

"They also offer to assist us in any way they can during this time."

"Your support especially at this time, is much appreciated," said Sutton

"There is no need for anyone to go hungry."

Source

• Supplied

It is considered an "essential service".

"We will provide kai for as long as we possibly can," the Compassion Soup Kitchen management say in a statement.

The Compassion Soup Kitchen has moved to provide one nourishing takeaway meal a day, served to the whanau from 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm."

The whanau have been encouraged to swap phone numbers so that they can stay in contact with each other during this difficult time.

Staff are keeping whanau informed about what Alert Level 4 means for day-to-day life.

There are two kitchen teams to reduce contact and staff were wearing personal protective equipment as well as keeping two metres apart.

The Soup Kitchen is also providing prepared meals for the Wellington Night Shelter which was reporting a higher than normal volume of people wanting meals.

The Wellington City Mission continue to distribute food parcels through the front door of The Mission with appropriate physical distancing measures in place.

Staff are using our fleet of vehicles for the delivery of food parcels to peoples' doorsteps.

Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge said all public toilets and showers had closed, providing another challenge for the homeless to keep clean.

"If this goes on for four weeks or longer - what do we do?"

Eldridge said the mission had been working to provide alternative accommodation and was working to reduce the number of people in night shelters.

Auckland City Mission cancelled its daily free meals for around 300 people because of the risks of having a large crowd indoors.

It is instead running a takeaway food service, which will be available between 11 am and 1 pm.

"Alongside other agencies, we're currently working through the practicalities of how we can continue to help people in need of emergency accommodation. said Auckland City Missioner Chris Farrelly."

"We currently work with around 400 emergency housing suppliers each day to support over 2600 households with their urgent housing needs."

Source

• soupkitchen.org.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• wellingtoncitymission.org.nz
• aucklandcitymission.org.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

"It was lovely," she said. "I was nervous before I got on, but once we got going it was great."

It started as a joke but before she knew it Cecilia was flying down the Parade in Island Bay, a Wellington Suburb, on the back of her neighbour's Harley Davidson motorbike.

Click here to see more photographs.

Sr Cecilia's neighbour, Tony Maresca, says he warmed to the "three beautiful nuns" straight away.

"They moved in next door to us a couple of years ago and we became good friends and good neighbours. They are really lovely people."

Tony says he joked with Cecilia when she first moved in, saying she should come for a ride on his Harley Davidson.

"I said to her, "when you get to 80 I'm going to take you on the motorbike", and she said "Yeah alright!"

When the day finally came, Tony says he thought she was going to back out, but she was all for it.

"The best part was when I brought her back everybody was clapping and cheering, and there was the most beautiful look on her face."

Source

• Cook Strait News
• Image: Supplied

Sister Christina plays the organ and looks after the church and grounds at St Joseph's Convent. She also helps out in the vege garden of the local school in Ranana, the last rural school left on the Whanganui River.

Sister Christina never dreamed she would become a nun, especially after a priest said she wouldn't cut it.

But almost 50 years later, she is having the last laugh, as she is about to celebrate her golden jubilee with the order. For her, life alongside the river is perfect.

"People come here to recharge their batteries. It's a real paradise."

This Town: A River Runs Through It screens on July 29, 8.30pm, TV One.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: 4.bp.blogspot.com

As a temporary measure a sealant has been sprayed on the roof, but in the longer term the roof will need replacing if the Aubert Childcare Centre is to continue operating in the building. Remediation of the grounds, with top soil, bark and sand would also be required and grassed areas would have to be replaced. The estimated cost of replacing the roof is $500,000. But could be more if the removal of the roof revealed additional problems .

After the Directors of Compassion considered the Sisters' mission, the ageing of Sisters, their resources, the costs of repairing the Centre's roof and outdoor play areas, together with increasing costs of maintaining and insuring all buildings currently used for Mission services they concluded that they could no longer keep the Aubert Childcare Centre open.

The head of the Sisters of Compassion, Sister Margaret Anne Mills, said there has been much debate and dilemma regarding what to do with Aubert Childcare. She said its foundations were built on service to the poor and needy; the Centre was founded as a residential home for disadvantaged children.

Sister Margaret Anne quoted an article about the Sisters written in 2007: "Many Sisters shared in the nursery and childcare work over the years and the fact that the Childcare Centre at the Bay continues to provide care for young children and help for parents reflects our belief that our Mother Foundress continues to watch over her children."

She said that she too has a sense that Suzanne Aubert continues to watch over 'her' children, but, "Time has passed and there have been many changes in the Bay. The childcare centre of today generally caters for the local Island Bay community.

The Sisters say they are conscious of their responsibilities to their benefactors, who bequeath funds for the care of those disadvantaged in the community but the childcare facility no longer falls within the Sisters' core purpose and they feel it would not be appropriate to spend such a significant sum repairing the building for a purpose that is no longer in keeping with their mission.

By a strange coincidence, the building which houses the original creche in Buckle St also figured in the news on the same day as the sisters announced the closure of the Island Bay building. The Buckle Street building, which now has Heritage status, stands in the way of the proposed Basin Reserve Flyover. It may not be demolished and will have to be shifted should the building of the fly-over proceed.

Source

• The Sisters of Compassion
• The Spirit of Mother Aubert lives on
• Radio New Zealand
• Image: Screen Shot Google Maps

An engineers' report has found that more than 67 per cent of the buildings are below the minimum earthquake standard required by law and could be dangerous in a moderate earthquake.

The residents, their families and staff have been told of the closure, and planning is under way to relocate the residents to other care facilities.

The Home of Compassion has a 54-bed facility with close to 90 per cent occupancy rate, with a staff of about 80.

Source

• The Wanganui Chronicle
• Image: The Sisters of Compassion