Foodbank supports whānau to help those suffering from kai insecurity

Tuesday, 1 June 2021

Te Pātaka Kai 4412 managers Kylie Johanson and Amy Crooks say anyone who needs a helping hand can visit their foodbank Monday and Friday.

Two women are fighting against kai insecurity after lockdown highlighted the needs of whānau across their rohe.

More than 400 whānau have been using Te Pātaka Kai 4412 in Palmerston North each week to fill up their puku with numbers continuing to increase.

Kai bank manager Kylie Johanson said during lockdown Whakapai Hauora Charitable Trust and other Māori organisations were struck by the severity of the kai insecurity whānau were facing.

It was this need that sparked the idea for the kai bank, manager Amy Crooks said.

Kylie Johanson stacks Te Pātaka Kai 4412’s shelves with some of their latest food donations.

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'The people who needed it were the people who won't speak up that they need food and will go without because they’re too whakamā about asking for it, or admitting that they need help.'

Based out of two shipping containers on the lawn of Tānenuiarangi Manawatū Incorporated in Awapuni, the pair have gathered fresh and non-perishable food from Just Zilch and other partners to help whānau feed themselves and their tamariki since November.

Every week they saw more people visiting the kai bank for help, with many coming from families the wider community may not expect, Johanson said.

“It doesn't necessarily mean beneficiaries, it's working families too. A two-household income still struggles because the rent is so high.

“Someone might be working full-time, they might be getting their full entitlements from WINZ, but still there's only $50 left for all of your groceries per week.'

Te Pātaka Kai 4412 also has secondhand clothes to give away.

Johanson said the main difference between Te Pātaka Kai’s set up and other foodbanks was the wraparound support systems available to whānau.

For anyone needing help, there were Whānau Ora navigators, suicide prevention services, counselling, addiction specialists, doctors and Covid-19 vaccinations on hand, she said.

If a person needed assistance in other areas of their life, help was only a stone’s throw away.

About 25 per cent of those who used the kai bank had taken up the chance to use other services, Johanson said.

“That's a lot of people, it just shows the real need out there.'

For many, food came first over hygiene products or household cleaning supplies, so ensuring there were options for whānau to pick up hygiene products was important, Crooks said.

There was also a secondhand clothing area for families, which included bedding and other household items they may need.

It was upsetting to see so may people were suffering with kai insecurity, Crooks said.

“You get close to people. We have a client who has been coming since day one and she has five kids.

“But when you're helping them and knowing they’re going to go home and their kids will be fed, that’s the rewarding part.”

Those who may to use the service or donate can contact the team on its facebook page Te Pātaka Kai 4412 or visit them at Tānenuiarangi Manawatū Incorporated on Maxwells Line on Mondays and Fridays.