Dozens of hungry Rotorua families are turning to the city's foodbank as the cost of living continues to bite into budgets.
Staff at two of Rotorua's busiest foodbanks say the number of people needing help has tripled in recent months and it's not only beneficiaries needing assistance.
St Vincent De Paul Foodbank organiser Connie Wilson says three years ago they were mainly seeing beneficiaries but in recent months there has been an increase in others who are struggling to make their dollar stretch.
"Every week it varies depending on whether people are being paid weekly or fortnightly but we are seeing more families than in previous years," she says.
"We are getting a lot of new people who have never been before ... "
St Vincent De Paul gives away 20 to 30 food parcels a week, compared to about 10 weekly three years ago. Mrs Wilson says many families are struggling as petrol, power and grocery bills rise.
Most food is donated to the foodbank but each week the service spends between $300 and $500 on essentials.
Many people are shy about asking for help and people get what is needed, rather than just what they want. "Some people ring up expectantly placing orders of what they want. We get all sorts," Mrs Wilson says.
The agency keeps in close contact with other Rotorua foodbanks. "We have to make sure those who really need the help are getting it."
Rotorua's Salvation Army foodbank is also dealing with increasing numbers of people.
Manager of community services, Graeme Stark says the foodbank is giving out triple the food parcels it handed out three years ago.
This year staff are giving about 81 parcels a month. Mr Stark has also noticed more income-earning families are living below the breadline.
"They are coming in with their budgets and they are just basic living ... Some are living on a shoestring. Petrol prices have really hit people hard."
There are people who abuse the system but they are turned away, Mr Stark says.
"This is about a hand up not a hand out. We had one woman come in and get a parcel, the next day she was down at St Vincent de Paul and by the end of the week she was back here trying to get another food parcel. We can't help those sort of people."
Rotorua Budget Service adviser Runa Morrison says there are also more people seeking budget advice - both beneficiaries and employed people.
Sometimes the service is booked up a month in advance with no time to fit in new clients. The service runs a 10-week education programme teaching families how to manage their money and deal with creditors and Government agencies.
Mr Morrison says one of the hardest things is getting people who are stuck in hire-purchase cycles and other piling debts to change their money thinking and habits. "A lot of them are spending money before they have even got it. Most don't comprehend if they don't pay the rent they will get evicted or if they don't pay the power, then it's cut off."
Many have debt collecting agencies chasing them for money and many are borrowing to make ends meet and then find it hard to pay back with compounding interest attached.
"They are going without food to pay these debts."
Many people buy things they don't need on credit. "It's not until it becomes a real problem or they are going to be evicted, they realise things have to change."
She says not everyone is ready for help. "I had one lady who was quite shocked when I told her I couldn't help her because she just wasn't ready."
Mrs Morrison says she's saddened by seeing generations of families coming through. "I'm seeing third and fourth generation families today where the message just hasn't got through ... the cycle is continuing. Change has to come within the whanau."
Rotorua Budget Service manager Pearl Pavitt can't see the situation improving as power bills continue to rise and petrol dictates prices on supermarket shelves. The Christchurch earthquake will also impact on budgets with insurance and the EQC portion certain to increase, Mrs Pavitt predicts.
Rotorua families turning to foodbank
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