City Mission expecting record Christmas parcel uptake

Friday, 21 December 2018

Four days out from Christmas and Christchurch City Mission food bank is under pressure to feed the needy.

When Khloe Whiunui picks up her Christmas food parcel, she knows she is one of thousands who need a bit of holiday support.

But she also knows there are many who won't be included in the ever-growing number of struggling families seeking help.

'I actually know quite a few people [who need this support], but it's the pride,' she said.

Khloe Whiunui says many families are in the same position as hers, and some are too proud to ask for help.

'They won't come out because they don't want people to think they're struggling. I believe if you're struggling, let people know. You're only going to get help. You're not going to get judged … I've learned now to reach out.'

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Khloe Whiunui doesn't know how she'd cope this Christmas if it wasn't for the food parcel she received from the Christchurch City Mission on Friday. She can now make a nice meal for her family, nephew, Brooklyn, 7, and children Saphire, 5, and Quenton, 4.

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Whiunui was one of about 150 people who received a parcel on Friday – the busiest day the Christchurch City Mission has ever had. Ordinarily, there would be about 30 through the doors.

Unlike the Auckland City Mission, Christchurch has not yet had to turn people away because of the demand. But there had still been fears the mission would run out of food.

'Most people tend to assume the need stops at Christmas where, actually, January is generally a month that's just as busy again,' Christchurch City Missioner Matthew Mark said.

'We've got to be mindful that we need to have enough stock in store to be able to meet that need throughout January.'

The mission was yet to do its final tally, but there had been a 44 per cent increase in food parcel demand on last year, Mark said. It would remain open for parcels over the weekend and on Christmas Eve.

'Last year we gave out just over 30,000 food parcels. We're anticipating that by the time we finish, we will have given out within the vicinity of about 47,000 or 48,000 food parcels,' he said.

It was expected that the mission's annual Christmas lunch would fare the same. Last year 750 people attended. Mark expects 1000 this year.

Mission staff and volunteers would usually notice small dips and spikes throughout the year – busier periods would hit with winter power bills, for example. It had been 'relentless throughout the year' in 2018, Mark said.

Struggling families were not just feeling it when those larger expenses hit. The stress was ongoing, week-to-week.

For the Christchurch Methodist Mission, the lead organisation behind the Housing First programme to tackle homelessness, nearly 200 parcels were delivered to families and vulnerable solo people around Christchurch this week.

People received gifts for families and many of the single people getting hampers were Housing First clients – people who until recently had been chronically homeless.

'Christmas is a stressful time for too many families throughout our community,' executive director Jill Hawkey said.

'They are struggling to provide the basics for themselves and their loved ones, let alone treats and gifts at Christmas.'

Whiunui works, but the cost of living for her and her four children had 'freakishly' increased. The parcel meant she could 'make up a nice meal for my babies' and would have money elsewhere to cover other expenses.

'Coming here and getting all of this? Sometimes you just want to cry when you walk out because you just think [about how] they help so many families.'