Kāpiti Community Foodbank one step away from permanent home

Kerry Lovell in Kāpiti Community Foodbank's interim premises. Photo / David Haxton

Two volunteer groups have played a key role in Kāpiti Community Foodbank's smooth relocation to temporary premises.

The foodbank had been operating in the Te Newhanga Kāpiti Community Centre but weather tightness issues with the council-owned building put its tenure on a knife-edge.

"The council thought it was too high risk for us to be there so we had to find an interim place," foodbank manager Kerry Lovell said.

Their temporary premises is in the former Co-operative Bank building in the Coastlands area off Rimu Rd, Paraparaumu.

The foodbank has a six month lease which it hopes will be enough time to get its permanent home established.

The foodbank has been trying to fundraise $150,000 to enable it to buy a relocatable building, move it to a site in Himemoa St, before revamping it to suit its needs.

The foodbank has secured a 10 year lease on the Hinemoa St site meaning it doesn't have the constant threat of moving hanging over it.

In the meantime, it's now settled in the former bank helping people with food parcels.

Lovell said the move from the community centre to the former bank had gone smoothly especially because of the voluntary efforts of the Rotary Club of Kāpiti and MenzShed Kāpiti.

Inside Kāpiti Community Foodbank's interim premises. Photo / David Haxton

"It was a fabulous effort and meant we didn't have to close.

"We couldn't have done it without them."

It has been a busy time for the food bank, especially with the school holidays putting extra stress on families.

"We've had a lot of single parents coming in that are at their wits end with children at home and extra pressure on finances and food.

"We're seeing a lot of tiredness and stress among people coming in.

"We've had four aggressive incidents in the last few weeks and I just think it's a reflection of people's stress.

"Police have been called in two of the incidents."

Lovell said September had been another high month of people registering for food bank assistance.

"In two months we've had 81 new people register."

Space was a bit confined meaning it had to have another storeroom elsewhere as well as their shipping container.

But despite the challenges the aim remained the same.

"We're here for the community to come and get food and that's what matters."

Lovell thanked everyone who had helped them, especially the food bank volunteers who were "making it work for people who need food".

Foodbank chairman David Edwards said the fundraising appeal had reached about $145,000 but expected the original budgeted figure of $150,000 will be exceeded, especially with shortages of materials and cost increases.

"We await a decision from council as to what items from the community centre can be repurposed into the new building.

"The decommissioning process is to be undertaken first.

"The application to council for a building permit has been submitted by our architect's complete with engineer's reports.

"Once the permit is issued we are confident Gold Coast Removals will place the building [relocatable] on site at 17 Hinemoa St as soon as they are able."