Papamoa homeowner's offer to food thieves: 'If you're hungry I'll make you a feed'

Shane Hill with his daughters Cayleh, 10, and Savanah, 7 in their Papamoa home which was broken into and only food stolen. PHOTO/ANDREW

When a Papamoa man came home to find his home broken into and his food cupboards raided he wasn't angry.

Instead Shane Hill reached out to the burglars to "knock on my door and I'll make you a feed if you're hungry."

"I know how things are tough around the whole country ... where you're struggling week to week, day to day. If they are coming in and getting food, then leaving - well they must be hungry," he said.

On Tuesday around 3pm burglars broke into the Papamoa home Mr Hill shared with his partner and three young daughters through his bedroom window.

The burglars made themselves something to eat, put their rubbish in the bin and made off with quite a bit of food from Mr Hill's cupboards, leaving the electronics and other valuables behind.

"I had electronics just lying out like a tablet and stereo. Maybe I disturbed them by coming home ... I was only gone for about an hour.

"When I got home I wasn't happy about it but then I looked at what was taken and realised 'hell, things must be worse for them than it is for me'. But I have three little girls at home, I can't have people sneaking around my house."

Mr Hill said he understood what it was like to struggle for food, recently depending on food parcels and help from the community himself.

He reported the break in and theft to police but the burglars left no fingerprints.

"Things are pretty hard for a lot of people so rather than getting angry about it and seeking vengeance - which isn't going to solve any problems - why not extend a helping hand to people who need help," Mr Hill said.

In a local Buy Sell Swap page he posted "Dear people of Papamoa today my house was broken into only thing taken was food between 2 and 330 if this was you come back and I will feed you if your that hard up it's not a problem come back."

The community responded, most praising Mr Hill for his kind heart and compassionate response to being burgled.

Community response:
Amber Kedian What a nice thing to say after someone has done this to you.

Steven Goodman Good onya mate, but how sad has New Zealand become where ppl need to steal food.

Jasmine Conlon If the world had more people with your compassion it would be a beautiful place.

I thank you on behalf of those people you are going to make life a little easier for, Massive respect to you!

Rahiri Pitman-Wilson We should have a beer some time you sound like a good chap.....

Carmon Maru Trouble is there's no need for people to be like this ....there's help for people out there if you look in the right places it's not to hard to find people just tend to take what they think is the easy road out ... sad.

Debbie Galloway Shane Hill. I admire you. People like you help to turn lives around. Beautiful heart you have.