Food bank money running out
A Manawatū food bank is running out of donations and food, and staff are copping abuse from some of the people they are having to turn away.
Robyn Duncan, the manager of Manchester House in Feilding, said prior to the Covid-19 pandemic about 95% of the food they gave away was donated, however, during the pandemic they had to buy the food themselves, with help from a government pandemic fund.
Coming out of the pandemic, only 2% of the groceries at the Feilding food bank were now donated, and Manchester House had to cough up for the rest, which had become a concern, she said.
“There is still a bit of that Covid funding left, but when that runs out, what then happens to the food bank?”
Duncan said she was lately having to say no to a lot of people, which they did not like.
Some people felt that it was their right to access Manchester House’s food service.
“‘We’re not here to enable people, we’re here to assist when there is a crisis with a new family and they can’t afford to buy any kai, that’s what we’re here for.”
Manchester House is a multi-service not-for-profit organisation that has been operating for more than 50 years.
Its food bank had been around for as long as Duncan had worked there, about 16 years, and she said she was worried for its future.
Woolworths had been providing Manchester House with free produce five days a week, and Manchester House put that out into a communal fridge which anyone could take from, no questions asked.
What they did expect was that people took what they needed and left enough for others.
Duncan said a man walked in last week and took all the meat from the fridge. When he was asked to leave some for others, he quickly filled the rest of his bag and left.
“This is what we’re having to put up with. So I really want people to understand how a food bank works.”
It didn’t run off money from Manchester House funding, it relied on donations, she said.
New World also provided family pack meals for Manchester House.
Duncan said they had some “beautiful people” who donated, along with local churches and private donors, but that alone was not going to sustain the food bank.
Stuff spoke to a single mother who came in for a food parcel. After paying rent and utilities, she said there was barely anything left for groceries.
She said she couldn’t afford to do a regular weekly shop but, if she was lucky, she could buy a few items and some cat food.
As of March 26, Manchester House had changed its policy for food parcels. Applicants could no longer just bring a “decline letter” from Work and Income refusing support, they now needed to show two weeks of bank statements.
Sam Atkins, a financial mentor at Manchester House, said people who were “vulnerable enough” to show their bank statements, and tell them about their family’s situation, were courageous.
“We want to look at your finances and try to help [people] in the long run.”
She would often ask recipients how many days they had until their next pay, how many children they had, and whether they had any food allergies, so she could pack them the best type of parcel.
But Atkins also saw a lot of people “use and abuse” the service. She too was worried about its future.