The Far North couple keeping wha¯nau fed
A couple who have just finished a lockdown mission delivering more than 1000 home-cooked meals to kaumatua say there is still more work to be done.
Hone Martin, known in the Far North as Papa Hone, and his partner Rachel Kearney used their time in lockdown to get food to struggling elders who had lost their usual support.
The pair, who run the charity One Wha¯nau at a Time, sourced food, had friends and wha¯nau help prepare meals and then made contactless deliveries from Ahipara to Taipa and everywhere in between.
Days were spent on the road delivering kai to isolated elders but when the Far North entered alert level 3 Papa Hone changed his focus.
“Now . . . we have put them back into the care of their wha¯nau who can now get to them. We haven’t finished though, because the need is still great so we are now helping wha¯nau provide for their kauma¯tua and feeding the families, the kids.”
The pair, today’s Lockdown Heroes, said the poverty they saw as they were delivering meals was heartbreaking.
“People living alone, with no heating, no kitchen, broken windows,” he said.
The gratitude of the elders as they received home cooked meals of roast pork, lasagne, beef stirfry and soup was humbling.
The meals were made by Papa Hone’s friend Quanah Curreen and his partner Sora Fahey in their home kitchen.
On Sunday he had rallied a team of fish filleters to prepare a tonne of fresh snapper donated by Moana Fisheries – New Zealand’s largest Ma¯oriowned fishery.
He said he “quietly freaked out a bit” when the fresh fish was donated, knowing he had to get it prepared and out to those in need.
On Monday, Papa Hone was gifted the use of the Vintage Tearooms in Kaitaia to cook 400 fish meals for families.
That night the street outside Papa Hone’s Koha Shed became a temporary contactless drive-thru with free fish meals on the menu.
“We had road cones out and people in masks with gloves giving the food.
“There were kids sitting on the grass with their meals. It was good to see.”
The One Wha¯nau at a Time Facebook page has been the contact point to donate money, food, clothes, blankets and furniture and housewares.
Papa Hone would love to see people donate building supplies including wood, windows and doors.
“There are a lot of houses we have seen when delivering food and we can be able to help these people get their homes up to standard.”
He has plans during level 2 to start a community garden and wants local wha¯nau to plant and tend the garden and for it to be a sustainable community asset.
“I have some land and a friend with a machine plough. . .
“The cost of fresh vegetables keeps going up so I want whanau to plant, nurture and grow their own food.”