Couple put less well-off first

A Kiwi couple are sacrificing their own Christmas Day to make it special for people in South Auckland who would otherwise miss out.

Jasmine and Vance McPhee will host a Christmas dinner in Manurewa at 6pm on Christmas day. The idea came out of their regular efforts to lend a helping hand.

The couple, who have five children, head out every Monday to the suburb armed with dishes of healthy, hearty meals and about 60 school lunches for the kids.

"We currently feed between 200 to 300 a week in Manurewa. One day we pulled up and saw all the kids and thought what are these kids going to do for Christmas."

As well as the food they bring donated goods, including blankets, socks, toiletries and sanitary items. They are already receiving hundreds of donations for their Christmas dinner.

They'll be serving ham off the bone, potato salad, fried bread, and lamb on a spit.

"We want it to be like a proper Christmas dinner," she says.

Jasmine says they see a wide range of people - and it's not just those who are unemployed or on a benefit.

"We have a grandmother who is retired, but she has taken on her grandchildren because she doesn't want them to go into CYFs care. We've got a case where we have mum and dad working, but on a Monday and Tuesday they're running out of food before payday."

The food drive grew out of their charity, Feed a Family - through which the couple hoped to help educate and enable families to "eat well within the constraints of a budget".

In 2013 Jasmine McPhee, who runs a catering business, began posting advice and recipes to help big families on a tight budget. It grew to become part of the charitable trust, which the couple bankroll with the support of extra donations from the community.

The couple say their ability to help others stems from their own financial struggles. Nine years ago, with four children and not enough money for the power bill, they found themselves without power, heating up a can of baked beans over a candle.

"We know how it feels for people going through this current social climate," Vance Mcphee said. "We were moved to act."

Jasmine's father is Destiny Church bishop Brian Tamaki, but she wants to be known for her own achievements. "I love my parents but I am Jasmine and it is good to be known for what you do and who you are rather than for who your parents are," she told the Herald in 2013.