Overnight camp for Christmas parcels
Sharlani Matealona, 25, spent the night playing card games outside on a bench, so she could be first in line for a food parcel.
The Auckland mother-of-three said she was dropped off at 6.30pm and spent the night outside Papakura Marae’s hall, playing games and chatting to those around her.
People had been waiting overnight at three sites across the city – Eden Park, Papakura Marae and Nga¯ Whare Waatea Marae in Favona – to receive a gift and food parcel from Auckland City Mission.
For hundreds of people who did not arrive hours in advance, the overwhelming demand meant they went home empty-handed.
At first Matealona was alone and then about midnight others began turning up. By 6am a queue of people wrapped in blankets snaked around the corner and out of the marae’s carpark.
‘‘I recently just got married and my benefit got suspended.
‘‘I am doing temporary at the moment,’’ Matealona told Stuff.
‘‘I am mainly here for Christmas presents for my kids. I’m not doing so good with those this year.’’
Next to her, Manurewa single parent Carmen-Rose Mokaraka said the food parcel would feed her six children, including 17-month-old daughter Hukatere Kiro-Mokaraka.
Mokaraka said she had used budgeting services but there wasn’t much she could do to save when she had so many fixed outgoings such as power and rent.
At Papakura Marae, an estimated 400 people were told to ‘‘come back tomorrow’’.
Papakura Marae chief executive Tony Kake said: ‘‘We know we have parcels for around 270. So we number everyone off just after 7am.’’
At Eden Park, hundreds of people were turned away.
James Screen visited Eden Park at 10pm on Thursday and returned to the line at 5am yesterday.
Because money was tight, he said he was concerned how he would provide gifts for his children.
But he was trying to remain positive, choosing to focus instead on the extra $57 a week he would receive in carer support when his daughter was released from hospital. ‘‘It’s not a lot but it’s a lot when you haven’t got it ... it puts us above the poverty line,’’ he said.
For Sina Tukuafu, it was the second trip she had made to Eden Park after missing out on Thursday’s food parcels. ‘‘Yesterday when we came at 8.30am, they said their cutoff is already done by 7.30am,’’ Tukuafu said. ‘‘I’m here for my children and grandkids.’’
Tukuafu said she had fallen on hard times this year because of an issue with her shoulder that had prevented her from working her three jobs. ‘‘I’ve been off work since September last year. It’s hard when you can’t work any more.’’
Auckland City Mission chief executive Chris Farrelly said that although it was great seeing the generosity of people over the Christmas season, it was also heartbreaking to see so much need.
‘‘On each of our sites we can cater for up to 230 families but unfortunately what we’re seeing is far more than that number coming through,’’ Farrelly said.
‘‘Those who desperately need food parcels has grown 27 per cent in the last year,’’ Farrelly said.
‘‘We’ve seen growth in the last 12 months of food poverty, insecurity and hunger.’’
Auckland City Mission planned to hand out 800 parcels a day at the three locations, right up until Christmas.