Food queues clue to city poverty, say charities

Social welfare reporter DEBORAH DIAZ reveals a trend which is worrying charities.


Demand for food parcels in inner-city Auckland has gone up 53 per cent in the past year, fuelling fears that more people are in the grip of poverty.

The Auckland City Mission and the Methodist Mission, which service the central city, gave out 4991 food parcels between them, compared with 3268 the year before.

The church-based missions also report a significant rise in demand for other services for the homeless and needy.

The respective missioners, Diane Robertson and Charlie Fenwick, believe poverty in Auckland is on the rise.

"It's easy to argue about poverty relative to Bangladesh or Kosovo, but we are seeing levels of poverty which are beyond what our parents' generations experienced, things New Zealanders decided they never wanted to see again after the Depression," said Mr Fenwick.

The Methodist mission gave out 1850 food parcels in the past 12 months, a 68 per cent increase on the previous year's 1100.

It served 29,000 "soup kitchen" meals - 31 per cent more than the previous year's 22,000.

And its budgeting and banking service turnover increased from $3.3 million to $4.5 million.

Demand for emergency shelter and house-lots of furniture was also up.

"A number of things are driving it up," said Mr Fenwick.

"We see primary school fees, the cost of school uniforms and increased car registration and licences taking a toll.

"Then there is the creeping cost of utilities.

"People are already spending most of their income on housing."

The Auckland City Mission gave out 3141 food parcels, 45 per cent up on the previous year and an 81 per cent increase over three years.

The mission's drop-in service is being used 61 per cent more frequently than a year ago, with 2409 visits during the month of May.