Auckland mum camps on a bench overnight for a Christmas food parcel

Friday, 14 December 2018

Struggling families queue for a food parcel at Eden Park on Friday.

Sharlani Matealona, 25, spent the night playing card games outside on a bench, just so she could be first in line for a food parcel.

The Auckland mother-of-three said she'd been dropped off at 6.30pm and spent the night on a bench outside Papakura Marae's hall, playing games and chatting to those around her.

James Screen lines up with his dog outside the stadium.

People had been waiting overnight at three sites across the city – Eden Park, Papakura Marae and Ngā 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 it was a trip home empty-handed.

Those receiving parcels are given a number from one to 200. If they miss the cut, they're told to come back tomorrow.

* My constant struggle to stay above the poverty line

* In poverty: We skip meals so our kids can eat**

At first Matealona was alone on the bench, and then around midnight, others began turning up. By 6am a dense queue of people wrapped in blankets snaked around the corner and out of the marae's carpark.

Some of those waiting preferred not to speak to media because of the embarrassment of needing food.

'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 help her 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 out-goings such as power and rent.

At Papakura Marae, an estimated 400 people were told to 'come back tomorrow'.

Papakura Marae chief executive Tony Kake estimates every morning around 300 people are 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 due to the volume of people in need.

Sina Tukuafu has reached the end of a tough year where she's been unable to work because of an injury.

James Screen visited Eden Park at 10pm on Thursday and returned to the line at 5am on Friday.

'As it gets closer to Christmas, we're going to get more and more worried.'

Supplies are delivered to the marae every morning.

Because money was tight, he said he was concerned how he would provide gifts for his children.

But he said 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 since missing out on Thursday's food parcels.

'Yesterday when we came at 8.30am, they said their cut off is already done by 7.30am,' Tukuafu said.

'I'm here for my children and grandkids, because I've got them for the holidays,'

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 anymore.'

Auckland City Mission chief executive Chris Farrelly said 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.

Farrelly's team included hundreds of volunteers working 14-hour days in three shifts.

'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.

The charity was asking people to get on board financially to help provide the support.