Food bank demand symptomatic of other issues

Tuesday, 12 November 2024

The high cost of accommodation is spilling out into other areas of people’s lives, says Motueka Community House manager Jane Henderson. “They’re just not affording food.” (file photo)

For staff of the Motueka St Vincent de Paul food bank, a request for food can often be symptomatic of another issue.

St Vincent de Paul area president Elizabeth Owens said money might be tight in households because of a medical, heating or vehicle expense.

Demand could increase because of a lack of seasonal work, challenges around addiction or mental health, family break ups, new arrivals in town, and the increased cost of housing, she said.

The service helps an average of about 20 individuals or families a week.

Motueka Community House manager Jane Henderson said food requests had risen as the high costs of accommodation hit.

“We see it spilling out into other areas of people's lives, they're just not affording food,” she said.

And with the increase in the price of food, single people, families and even those working on lower incomes were finding it “tough” and were really struggling, she said.

“We're seeing people coming in to access our food services that we've never seen before, simply because they're just not keeping on top of it, with all the high rents and the high food prices.

New Zealand's inflation rate has dropped to 2.2%, the lowest in more than three years. Although prices are still rising, the pace has slowed. Lower prices for air travel, petrol, and vegetables helped, but rent and insurance costs have increased.

“It's quite dire,” she said.

Henderson said demand had also increased for the food on the house’s share shelf.

Meanwhile, Motueka’s Salvation Army food bank recently dropped down from opening from three days a week to one.

Salvation Army Nelson Tasman Bays corps officer Captain Karl Foreman said two part-time staff in Motueka resigned recently, temporarily reducing the operating hours of the food bank.

Foreman said the service was still providing food, it was just the way that they did so had changed, and food could still be accessed by ringing them on days outside of Tuesday.

They were looking to hire new people for the Motueka food bank in the near future, he said.

Asked if there was anything the community could do to help, Owens said it would be good to see an increase in healthy food donations.