Homeless cook a meal to thank Hamilton Vinnies

Nine weeks ago, the Vinnies food caravan crew came across a group of men living in a park.

“They’d been given notice to move on and had run out of options, nowhere left to go. We couldn’t just walk away. So we . . . opened our doors. That’s what community looks like, right?” Vinnies Hamilton stated in a Facebook post.

“What happened next warmed our hearts completely. Those same men invited us to a beautiful three-course meal they cooked and paid for themselves. We sat together, we laughed, we ate like kings . . . and we left feeling full in every way.

“To us, they’re no longer ‘the guys from the park’; they’re our friends. And honestly? The best tenants we’ve ever had.

“Sometimes people don’t need us to fix everything,” the Facebook post continued. “They just need someone to listen, to believe in them and to show they’re worth the effort. We’re so grateful for these real connections and the powerful lessons they bring.”

Homelessness advocates in Hamilton have welcomed fresh Government funding for rough sleeper services, but warn the city’s crisis is far from over, the Waikato Times reported.

Ministers Chris Bishop and Tama Potaka have announced $14.5 million in nationwide funding for services supporting people experiencing homelessness, with Hamilton in line to receive a share.

But Te Whare Korowai Taangata o Kirikiriroa – Hamilton Christian Nightshelter Trust chief executive Joanne Turner said homelessness in the city has worsened since October and fears the worst is yet to come.

Homelessness in Hamilton rose by 300 per cent last year.

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Facebook (Vinnies Hamilton)

Homelessness ‘storm before the storm’ despite new Government funding (Waikato Times)