Covid 19 coronavirus: Salvation Army Rotorua busy with needy families

Rotorua's Salvation Army is being kept busy creating and delivering much-needed food parcels to struggling families during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Salvation Army Lieutenant Kylie Overbye said they were distributing between 10 and 20 parcels per day.

The non-perishable food parcels consisted of spaghetti, baked beans, tomatoes, soup, fruit, tinned meat, rice, pasta, sauces, milk, tea/coffee/Milo, sugar, flour and baking goods, spreads and toiletries.

Rotorua Salvation Army Community Ministires team leader Tania Hore during food parcel preparation. Photo / Andrew Warner

When able they also added fresh food such as eggs, meat, fruit and vegetables.

Overbye said the majority of the parcels were supporting people caught up in the backlog from Ministry of Social Development inquiries or who had used up their entitlements there.

The Salvation Army also helped families with additional people staying with them during the lockdown, people who were immunocompromised, elderly, solo parents of young children and those unable to access support.

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"The need is growing across the whole country as the effects of revenue loss from Covid-19 is becoming more apparent," Overbye said.

"While we aren't able to receive physical food donations to our door from the public at this time, we encourage those who are able to financially support with food provisions to make a donation online."

Overbye said it was important people knew the Salvation Army was just a phone call away.

Earlier this month the Salvation Army announced New Zealanders had stumped up more than $850,000 in response to a call for donations to meet the growing demand on its foodbanks.

Since the Covid-19 level 4 restrictions took effect, the Salvation Army has seen a notable increase in people asking for food parcels. It has also seen a huge increase in the number of people reaching out to help them meet that need.

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Salvation Army assistant territorial secretary for mission Captain Gerry Walker said it was incredibly grateful to people who continued to show the true spirit of kindness.

"More and more people are struggling to feed their families through this crisis, but with the help of those in a position to donate, we can really support those who find themselves in times of need."

During the 2019 Rotorua Salvation Army Christmas appeal, the organisation said it had supported more than 600 families in the past year and provided about 200 food parcels to those in need every quarter.

• People wishing to donate to The Foodbank Project, which works in with the Salvation Army, can visit www.foodbank.org.nz and select the type of bundle they want to donate. It will automatically be distributed to their closest foodbank, with Rotorua one of the available locations.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website