Vision to turn town into ‘food basket’
Pounamu Skelton admits she is a ‘‘big thinker’’ and wants to see Waitara create a sustainable source of food for its residents that doesn’t rely on money.
Skelton is a volunteer at the Waitara Foodbank Pataka Kai and is coordinating a food resilience project in the town, made possible with a $10,000 grant from the Ministry of Social Development.
The two-year fund will help Skelton map out the existing food sources available in the community, and get conversations going to come up with ideas to turn Waitara into a ‘‘food basket’’, which supplies a sustainable source of nutritional stuff to eat made possible through sharing skills and resources. ‘‘I think everyone has the right to have food for today, tomorrow and next year.’’
Through her time volunteering in the past three months, Skelton had seen the generosity of spirit which came through the food bank doors with donations.
‘‘It’s been really good for the wairua to see that, it gives you hope.’’
But those same people also had skills to pass on too, she said, in the form of jam-making, gardening and the like.
As part of her vision, she also saw food bank users being empowered through other activities like cooking classes.
Skelton, who is involved in maara kai (community gardens), was the perfect person to take on the role, Waitara foodbank co-chair Tiri Porter said. ‘‘It’s her bread and butter, food sovereignty,’’ Porter said.
For the first time, Waitara will have its own food drive this year, covering the township, Lepperton, Urenui and Tikorangi. It runs from 2.30pm on
December 6.
It was a decision made after consultation with other food banks and the wider community, co-chair of the Waitara service Tracey Bryant said.
The food bank hoped for a generous response, but asked people to be mindful of what they donated and steer clear of giving expired food items, or packets which were already opened.
The annual food bank drive which benefits the other services in Taranaki will be held on December 7 in Ha¯wera, Eltham, Stratford, Inglewood and New Plymouth.