Southland Food Bank demand highest in 28 years
Sunday, 17 November 2019
A Southland food bank was only meant to run for two years. Some 28 years later it is still going and is the busiest it has ever been. Jamie Searle reports.
In 1991 times were tough in Southland. About 1400 jobs were gone with the closure of the Ocean Beach meat plant and the economy was declining rapidly.
At this time the Southland Food Bank was formed.
Is it still needed today? Unfortunately yes, and the demand for its services is the highest it has ever been.
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Food bank organiser Ron Maynard has worked 27 out of the 28 years it has been in existence.
'Nothing's changed … demand is always there. It won't go away.
'I can't see it dropping, honestly can't.'
The food bank is dealing with second generations in families, as well as a few third generations.
About 865 food parcels were provided from January to October in 2019, compared to 726 for the same 10 months in 2018. In 2014, it was 684.
Hikes in rent, power bills and people struggling with medical bills was making it tough for those on low incomes or benefits, Maynard says.
On the food bank's book there are at least 25 people who have been getting parcels for five or more years.
One of the rising trends is assistance being given to former prisoners and people on probation who appear to be falling between the gaps. In total, 114 parcels have been given out, up from 74 in 2018.
Often there can be a delay of a week or two before benefits kicks in for people who have been released from prison.
The food bank requires referral documents from people before it assists.
Southland Food Bank Charitable Trust chairman Peter Swain says food parcels are designed to last a week and depending on people's circumstances, most receive four a year.
The original plan for the food bank was to operate for two years and then close.
However, there has always been steady demand but more so this year, he says.
With donations of goods and money, the food bank has been able to stay open.
The food bank is not the only organisation in Southland witnessing people in need.
Getting people off the minimum wage ($17.70) to the voluntary Living Wage ($21.15) will take the pressure of people, says Salvation Army community ministries co-ordinator Brenda King.
The biggest strain on people's finances is rental costs, she says.
'It's hurting people … people are trapped.'
Most weeks, Monday to Friday, 20 people, consisting of current and new clients, contact the Salvation Army for help.
'They come in seeking food but as you talk to them, their need is a lot more than food.
'They need counselling and better health care.'
Some people initially bypass Work and Income and go directly to the Salvation Army for help.
An assessment is done before a decision is made on what assistance can be given.
Invercargill Salvation Army statistics show 1568 food parcels were distributed from November 2018 to November 2019. It is a decrease from the 1990 recorded for 2017-2018.
King believes one reason for the drop this year is the reluctance, by some, to comply to a new requirement of producing bank statements for assessments.
When bank statements are requested, some people don't turn up for appointments which leads to assistance being stopped, she says.
Another service at the forefront of helping people in need is the Jubilee Budget Advisory Service.
Service manager Sharon Soper says the main reasons its clients are getting food parcels are because of rent increases, high power bills, high debt (credit cards and credit contracts), medical bills, cost of food and unexpected bills.
In the past year Jubilee has given advice to 1600 to 1700 people.
About 800 are currently on its books and the majority of them 'are struggling to survive', Soper says.
'I can only see it getting worse.'
Work and Income stats show in the Southern region – Timaru south – in September 2016, 5166 food assistance grants for hardship were given out totaling $563,000 and 1438 people in that month were given accommodation related assistance for hardship costing $780,000.
In September this year, only 3799 people were given food assistance hardship grants totalling $387,000. However, accommodation-related assistance was given to 1508 people costing $906,000.
Swain believes the Southland Food Bank can cope with food parcel demands for the next two years. Beyond 2022, services might have to be reduced.
'It's sustainable at the moment but somewhere along the track city leaders are going to have to address the problem [of people struggling to buy food].'