‘Don’t wait until cupboards are bare’
Anyone struggling to buy food should seek help, a Taranaki food bank manager says.
New Plymouth Community Foodbank manager Sharon Wills said as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were now people needing help who had never been in that position before.
This included a 61-year-old man and his partner who were only eating two meals a day, because of loss of income, but were reluctant to ask for a food parcel, she said.
She received an email from the man asking what help was available if they needed it, but he was only going to visit the food bank if things got ‘‘really bad’’.
‘‘I said: ‘You’re exactly the person we’re here for. You should be eating, come and see us’.
‘‘He has a job, but he’s only working as many hours as the boss would give him so it’s not enough.’’
And the man’s partner couldn’t work for three months, Wills said.
This couple aren’t alone. A Commission for Financial Capability survey conducted during the level 4 lockdown in April, found 34 per cent of people were already experiencing financial difficulties and 40 per cent were teetering on the brink of doing so.
The New Plymouth food bank has seen a 27 per cent increase in demand on the same time last year, Wills said.
People shouldn’t wait until the cupboards are bare, and they have nothing left to eat to come in, she said.
‘‘Don’t have any preconceived idea that you can’t get a food parcel from us. It doesn’t matter if you have a mortgage, a car and a boat. Stuff happens. This isn’t normal at the moment. They don’t have to be on a benefit, they don’t have to be unemployed, they just need to need us.
‘‘And it’s only a short term thing. We’re not here to feed everybody every week,’’ she said.
If people are struggling they should call Wills on 06 758 2757 or email, foodbank.np@gmail.com. ‘‘It’s confidential,’’ she said.