Free building for homeless
The off-the-cuff gift of a small building is giving people in need a place to eat, dignity and a sense of community.
Te Kai Po Ahuriri, 49, secured a free 100-year lease last year for an 11-hectare block on Old West Rd in Linton, near Palmerston North, from a family trust.
The former meth addict and gang member built one-room shacks that are dotted across the property, used at no charge for people with nowhere else to turn.
Construction company Naylor Love gifted Ahuriri an old portacom building, which had been turned into a dedicated kitchen for people to cook, gather and eat together.
The section’s land use consent required a building onsite, so Ahuriri leased a unit. He and three others who comprise the local Stormtroopers chapter covered the $600-a-month rent.
That building was used for everything. It was a kitchen, dining room, pantry, lounge and bedroom.
It was now used as a designated bedroom and night shelter.
The kitchen and dining room supplies had been moved into the new communal kitchen, which sported a gas oven, hot water and a microwave. ‘‘It feels like we are on the right track. I’m hopeful more people will come to support the need.’’
Ahuriri said people on the street were used to living with all their belongings in their arms.
They would eat with one hand, the other gripped tightly around their bag.
He said for one hour they could sit at a table, enjoy a meal with others, and feel normal.
Ahuriri had been feeding the hungry for three days a week from the back of his van for five years. He had two vans: one for work and one for feeding people. But one of the vans broke down six weeks ago, forcing them to stop.
He was working towards obtaining a van with the help of City Mission and All Saints Church, to shuttle people to the kitchen.
Ahuriri said people could come back into the city after the meal, or stay the night and return after breakfast. ‘‘It came at the perfect time, winter is coming and people come out and need somewhere to go.’’
He said there was lots of help for homeless people in the city, but there were some days when meals were not available. ‘‘People are doing good work but not everyone is being catered for. We try to catch the last of it.’’
There were nine people living at the farm fulltime, and about 15 people came and went as they needed to.
Each person took turns cooking easy and cheap meals.
Michael Horvat, 29, said he liked the feeling of community that came from cooking and eating with others.
He had been homeless for more than two years. The farm had been his home for about eight months. ‘‘It’s nice to have company around, and it’s nice to make a big meal for everyone.’’
He said life was wayward and without routine on the streets. Having set meal times made it easier to get his life back on track.
City Mission trustee Andrew Carson said it was in discussions with Ahuriri about transporting people to the farm, and would love to support the project.
The charity was considering giving him use of one of its vans, gifting him one, or selling one to the cause.
‘‘For us it’s about allowing people to have that sense of dignity, instead of lining up in view of everyone to say you need help, and to support some sense of community instead of feeling isolated.’’