Refurbishment starts on Kāpiti Community Foodbank's new home

Peter and Sonya Jackson with Kāpiti Community Foodbank chairman David Edwards. Photo / David Haxton

Work is under way to convert an old music room into Kāpiti Community Foodbank's long-term home.

The foodbank has bought a former Kāpiti College music room, which has been relocated to Hinemoa St, Paraparaumu, next to the Coasters Musical Theatre, where a land lease arrangement has been secured for 10 years.

Extensive work will be carried out on the building, courtesy of Menzshed Kāpiti and builder Duncan Chamberlain, before the foodbank opens to the public.

In the meantime, the foodbank is operating in a building in Rimu Rd, which has a lease arrangement until April, and month by month after that.

The foodbank has raised $150,000 for the relocation project courtesy of generous individuals, companies, grants as well as some of its reserve funds.

While the fundraising target had been met, foodbank chairman David Edwards estimated another $50,000 was needed because of a rise in product costs and delays.

A former college music room will be the home of Kāpiti Community Foodbank once renovation work is complete. Photo / David Haxton

One of the recent funding contributions has come from Paraparaumu-based company Peter Jackson Plumbing.

Plumbing staff had created bespoke toilet roll holders which were auctioned off.

Proceeds, as well as funds from a Givealittle page, generated $3518.83, which has been given to the foodbank.

"We've always liked to be community minded and have been involved in a range of things over the last 20-odd years," company owner Peter Jackson said.

"During the first lockdown, I thought we needed to do something where we could get the boys contributing.

"Because I quite like steampunk art, and we had so much scrap metal, I thought about making toilet roll holders.

"I made one, which didn't really seem to inspire them, so we thought about what inspired them.

"We have a good relationship with Milwaukee tools, and the boys like the tools, so we tried to get them on board.

"They weren't sure but gave us a good price on 10 battery-powered tools, which became the prize shared among the plumbers.

"They all made something, we hung them up in the office, and then auctioned them off online."

The foodbank wanted a permanent building after being forced to move to various sites over the years.

Their new long-term place means they can focus on the needs of the community instead of worrying about re-lease arrangements.