Record food parcel demand for Vinnies Hamilton

The Society of St Vincent de Paul in Hamilton said it initially budgeted for 5000 food parcels this year, but after returning from the New Year break, staff realised the demand exceeded 8000 parcels.

Vinnies Hamilton general manager Mike Rolton said the number of food parcels given out might have to be capped at 5000, and it was a “hard decision”.

“If we cap it, who misses out? How do we make that decision? How do my staff at the foodbank say, ‘Sorry . . . we can’t help you’?”

He hoped demand would drop as more people find employment.

“But, in the interim, organisations like ours have to pick up the slack.”

Mr Rolton said demand had “gone through the roof” recently. Homeowners make up 43 per cent of people seeking help, and the long-term unemployed 30 per cent. The latter had previously made up the majority of those seeking help.

He said the foodbank had “never” experienced such high demand, not even during COVID-19, when they handed out around 4000 parcels.

Aside from the foodbank, Vinnies Hamilton also provides lunch and breakfast at its community dining hall and distributes meals at night with a food caravan.

“The main reason we put the food caravan out was [because] we were hearing from information off the street . . . they can’t afford the petrol to get to us.

“We are providing food to 260 people, 85 children. . . . That is more than we expected.”

It was initially planned to extend the caravan service to five days a week, but Mr Rolton was unsure if they could fund it anymore. He said Vinnies Hamilton was now in the process of reviewing all its services to ensure it could resource them all.

A decision was expected later this month. In the meantime, Vinnies will “keep going” for as long as it can, Mr Rolton said.

FULL STORY

Hamilton foodbank faces cap to food parcels as it struggled to keep up with demand (By Malisha Kumar/Waikato Herald)

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