KEY POINTS:
Rollerbladers, surfies, scuba divers and psychics are among an idiosyncratic band of Auckland characters who are donating their services to raise money for the city's down-and-outs.
Laos-born Jimmy Luxa, 30, who rollerblades on fine days from Mission Bay to his work in Parnell, is donating five hour-long rollerblading
lessons to the highest bidder as his contribution to the Auckland City Mission's winter appeal.
"I've been doing it since I was a kid and I haven't fallen off yet, so I guess I can teach people," he said.
"My work colleagues saw me coming to work every day and asked me to do it for the City Mission, so why not?"
For the third year in a row, the mission aims to raise $300,000 from Mr Luxa and 86 other Aucklanders who are offering their services on the auction site TradeMe.
Mr Luxa's offer rolled off to a slow start when the auction began yesterday, with 13 bids totalling just $10.50 by mid-afternoon.
But there were already 99 bids totalling $405 for the most popular offering dinner for 10 or canapes for 20 from Let's Eat Catering, and 38 bids totalling $1200 for the most valued offering, 18 holes at the Formosa golf resort with TV personality Marc Ellis.
Ellis also proved the biggest moneyspinner in the mission's first auction in 2006, when a punter paid $1999.99 to beat 533 other bidders for a round of golf with him at Wairakei.
This year's auction closes on July 14.
City Missioner Diane Robertson said the mission was struggling with a 21 per cent increase in numbers seeking food parcels, housing and other services in the past year, reflecting rising costs for food and petrol.
"We are seeing a lot of single inner-city dwellers on low incomes who are just finding it increasingly difficult to cope," she said.
"It would be mainly men aged about 19 to 35. It's been quite a different demographic than what we're used to, some working, some on benefits. We are starting to see a few who have been made redundant."
The mission opened a new health centre yesterday with funding of $217,000 a year from the Auckland District Health Board, but needs a further $133,000 for it from the appeal.
Volunteer doctors have provided a "suitcase clinic" at the mission's Hobson St site one half-day a week for several years, but the new service will start with two part-time doctors, Dr Nikki Turner and Dr Jenny Warlow, who both resigned from Waipareira Health last year after disagreements with chief executive John Tamihere.
Practice nurses will also work at both Hobson St and the mission's Otahuhu branch. The manager of the Auckland People's Centre which already provides a cheap health service to low-income people, Lael Meredith, said there was room for both services.
