Social service agencies in Gisborne have noticed a rising need this year as the countdown to Christmas begins.
The Salvation Army is working hard to prepare Christmas hampers and gifts for those in need.
It gives out 100 hampers to people in Gisborne, Wairoa, Te Araroa and Ruatōria, as well as providing gifts for children of all ages.
“We identify the people who need the hampers. It may be people we have a relationship with already through our youth and companion programmes, or people who use our food bank,” Salvation Army captain Jenny Ratana-Koia said.
The Sallies are always appreciative of any gifts people want to donate, especially for teenagers.
They accept new goods - toys, clothing, books etc - and then label them according to the appropriate age group.
“We set up big tables with gifts for the different age groups and then we select what each family needs,” Ratana-Koia said.
She had noticed an increased need for help lately and said they had extended their emergency foodbank to three days a week.
The former primary school teacher also reaches out to some Gisborne primary schools, which are asked to nominate families who might need a hamper.
“We call it a hand-up rather than a hand-out.”
The Salvation Army hosts a Christmas Day lunch for 80 people at its base in Gladstone Rd.
“We tend to cater for people who might otherwise be alone at Christmas – people who don’t have family living nearby or live alone, but everyone is welcome,” Ratana-Poi said. “They do need to register in advance, though, so we can keep track of the numbers.”
SuperGrans Tairāwhiti are also gearing up for Christmas, adding extra treats to their kai parcels, which they give out through referrals.
Their focus is on food security and providing education about how to budget and make cost-effective and nutritious meals. They also run general life skills and parenting workshops.
SuperGrans general manager Sarah Elliott said they were seeing more families reach out to the agency. Some were two-income families, but still needed extra help.
“We’re seeing an increased need and more first-time users of social services,” she said.
Elliott said their main need was for food – preferably non-perishable food items.
“We will continue to deliver kai parcels throughout the holiday period so it is not too late to donate.”
To give an idea of how busy they are, from April 2023 to March 2024 SuperGrans distributed 4030 food parcels and provided 113, 903 foodbank meals.
Five early childhood centres in Gisborne will receive food parcels from KidsCan this Christmas as part of more than 6000 families across New Zealand receiving essential support over the holidays.
The food packs - $1.4 million worth of food - are being offered to the families of every child the charity supports through its 203 partner early childhood centres.
Each family will receive 32 kilograms of food, including fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and pantry staples - enough to sustain a family of four for seven to 10 days.
The initiative, which comes at the end of a particularly tough year for families in poverty, has been made possible through the support of billionaire businessman Graeme Hart and wife Robyn.
“We know more families are struggling to make ends meet, and the holidays only amplify their stress,” says Julie Chapman, the chief executive and founder of KidsCan. “This funding couldn’t have come at a better time and will provide our most vulnerable families with much-needed relief from food insecurity. Some parents have shared that with this gift of food they can now afford to buy Christmas gifts for their children instead.”
It is the first time KidsCan have had the funding to provide food support to families during the holidays. The charity, which has been feeding school children since 2005 and preschoolers since 2019, provides support during the school term.
It partners with 1100 schools and early childhood centres nationwide, aiming to reduce barriers to education by providing food, jackets, shoes and health products.
Next year, KidsCan is extending its food programme to 10,000 more preschoolers in poverty after being awarded Government funding of $4m a year. It will still have around 150 schools and early childhood centres waiting for support.
Gisborne Office Products Depot collected gifts under its tree for Te Whare Tu Whanau - Gisborne Women’s Refuge this Christmas.
By Wednesday, the tree set up at its store had gathered a nice pile of presents donated by the public for parents and children alike to enjoy.
Nikita Davies, Te Whare Tu Whānau - Gisborne Women’s Refuge administrator, said one of the greatest needs for whānau was “a reminder of what can be”.
“Love, comfort, all of that you can forget after being through a traumatic time,” Davies said. “Anything that can bring everybody back together is what they need.”
Davies said community support for Te Whare Tu Whānau was “amazing” all-year-round.
“We have so much. Often they are behind the scenes. Even I don’t know they are coming in.
“I love it. I love what Gisborne can do even though we all in a way have something we are struggling with.”
Some people who used the service came back to support it themselves.
Davies said it could be hard to read levels of demand for the Women’s Refuge service throughout the year, but Christmas could be a particularly stressful time for some.