Huria Marae invites Tauranga homeless to special Christmas lunch

GIVING: Huria Trust chairwoman Sylvia Willison has organised a Christmas dinner for the homeless at the Huria Marae today. PHOTO/JOHN BORREN

A pregnant woman, families and individuals are among the Bay homeless that a local marae has invited to celebrate Christmas at a special lunch today.

A festive meal of roast lamb, chicken, stuffing, veges and all the trimmings is being laid on at Huria Marae, which has been opening its doors to homeless Bay residents since July offering them kai, showers and laundry facilities twice a week in an initiative called He Rourou Aroha, supported by the marae's social services arm the Huria Trust.

Marae chairwoman Sylvia Willison told the Bay of Plenty Times she thought homelessness in Tauranga was "a worsening problem".

Recently a homeless pregnant woman turned up at the marae with her partner. Her baby was due early in 2017.

"She didn't even have a car to sleep in, she was just on the streets. We helped her hook up to our kaupapa antenatal services, and have helped her and her partner find housing and stay in touch - I hope they will be here for lunch today."

In August the marae had also helped house a homeless family of a mother and her three children who had just turned up at the door with nowhere else to go. The marae had accommodated the family in one of its trust buildings.

"Mostly we have seen individuals, sleeping rough on the street, just on the tarseal in council carparks. It is pitiful to walk around the city and see," Mrs Willison said.

"But we have also had people who were sleeping in cars, garages and some families with children who had nowhere to go who we have helped into housing."

She said homeless people were still sleeping in cars in the city in places like the Waikareao Estuary car park which was in view of the marae.

Mrs Willison said the lunch was to celebrate Christmas with the community's homeless as well as to thank others in Tauranga who had helped with baking and soup kitchens for the homeless during the year.

Charlie Rahiri of Ngati Ranginui iwi said both the iwi and Tauranga City Council staff had volunteered time this year to assist with He Rourou Aroha.

The marae said it would continue providing its facilities and soup kitchen long term, and He Rourou Aroha would resume on January 16.

"We will be back up and running in February. We will do it as long as it is necessary. The situation is not improving, it is getting worse. If we can make a difference in this even in a small way, we will," said Mrs Willison.Ngati Ranginui chief executive Steph O'Sullivan said the lunch was a reminder for the community to be mindful of the homeless at this time of year, as well as a thank you to all those in the community who were helping.

"There are still many homeless in Tauranga but what has been positive this year is the awareness raised and what is being done. It is of course hugely challenging and terribly, terribly difficult for those homeless in our city, particularly at this time of year, but as a community we are really looking at addressing medium- to long-term solutions."

Christmas lunch
When: 12.30 Monday December 19
Where: Huria Marae, 1 Kaponga St
Transport: Two vans can pick people up to take them to the lunch. Vans will pick up opposite Tauranga City Libraries at 91 Willow St, as well as from Marty's Pool Bar, 9 Elizabeth St, between 11.50 and 12.15