Kaiwaka op-shop food bank concept helps hungry families

JULIA WADE

Unwanted usable objects are now being turned into kai for struggling east-Kaipara residents with the recent opening of a new second-hand goods store.

Kaiwaka Food Bank Opportunity Shop (KFBOS) opened its doors for the first time on January 13 in a handy location adjacent to the town’s Community Hall and opposite Jaques Four Square.

The concept was initiated by locals Mel Gilligan, and husband and wife Barry and Beth Stone, who say the op shop was an idea originally conceived before last year’s lockdown.

“In November 2020 we had a meeting and decided we should forge ahead with it,” Beth says. “It's going great so far and we thank the community for their support. Big thanks are due to all our volunteers and we'd love a few more if anyone has a few spare hours weekly.”

Providing support with a wide range of groceries since 2013, the food bank’s catchment area has grown to helping over 400 registered families from Kaiwaka, Wellsford, Mangawhai, and Maungaturoto to Paparoa, with food boxes personally catered to each individual family’s requirements, founding member and manager Maria Morgan aka ‘Aunty Ma’ says.

“We cater for the parents, the kids, grandparents… and although it’s a community thing I still keep things very private here,” Aunty Ma says, who also teaches Te Reo Maori at Rodney College and along with the principal, Irene Sykes, helps to support and supply food to students whose lunch boxes are bare.

Since opening, the food bank has been supported by Kaiwaka’s Jaques Four Square and members of the community donating cash and grocery items, as well as items from Te Whai Community Trust, Salvation Army and local businesses and churches. The organising of the approximately 20 daily food boxes is a family affair with Aunty Ma’s husband joining her every

afternoon after work, as well as her son-in-law and two granddaughters lending a hand, with up to ten volunteers signed up for the busier days.

People who need help can drop in and visit Aunty Ma, who says she has a good radar for those who try to spin her a yarn.

“I’ve had some people ask for help then see them with new items like cars or devices… I know the ones who are really struggling though, and let them come more often… we get kids lining up and ripping things open as soon as they leave, girls asking for tampax,” she says. “We also see quite a few parents on drugs so we make arrangements to get food delivered to the kids at their school… when there are kids involved I will just give.

“Community are very happy to have the op shop,” she says. “Means a lot to me, as I know people are being looked after.”

n Interested in supporting Kaiwaka Food Bank? Grocery items accepted at Kaiwaka Food Bank and food bin in Jaques Four Square, with cash donations also accepted through Jaques.