Hamilton Food Bank launches home-cooked frozen meals for seniors in need

Debbie Wilson (left) discusses with volunteers Rebecca and Neville the step-by-step guide for making the meals. Photo/ Tom Eley

Hamilton Combined Christian Food Bank is firing up the stoves for a new meal service to help struggling elderly locals.

In addition to traditional food parcels, the food bank launched a programme called Superconnect, which provides home-cooked, frozen meals to kaumātua in need.

The low-sodium, diverse meals began after food bank manager Debbie Wilson recognised a gap in the community, particularly among those aged over 65.

“We have made it 65 and over, also because we know that’s an age group struggling financially ... in our community.”

For Māori and Pasifika, eligibility begins at 55, Wilson said.

“We are aware of the inequities that make those groups more vulnerable, so we want to help.”

Before volunteers could even start cooking, there was a four-week build-up of testing, tasting, and organising.

Now, the volunteers cook once a week for about two hours, creating three different dishes.

This week’s menu featured beef chow mein, lasagne, and leek and potato soup.

After cooking, the meals are being packaged, sealed and stored in a refrigerated truck, before being transported to the food bank’s freezers where they are stored.

To receive a frozen meal, eligible community members are asked to fill out an online application form via heretohelpu.nz or call 0800 568 273.

Meals are capped at eight per person, spread over a week or a fortnight.

Hamilton Combined Christian Food Bank manager Debbie Wilson tries the leek and potato soup, one of the meals being cooked for seniors around Hamilton. Photo / Tom Eley

The food bank opened applications for the frozen meals this week, but as of Wednesday, none had been distributed.

Before setting up the service, the Hamilton food bank consulted Tauranga Food Bank manager Nicki Goodwin, who has a similar initiative with food rescue group Good Neighbour.

The Hamilton service is still in its early stages and will need to triage incoming calls for help.

“That’s sorting out if people need other kinds of help, other than just food, which is often, often the case.”

To spread the word about the service, the food bank is also relying on Age Concern, which cares for seniors in the Waikato.

Neville Waho and Daniel Kumar, cooking and adding flavour. Photo / Tom Eley

“At the moment, we have 13 centres that can put food parcel applications into use,” Wilson said.

“It is like an octopus.”

Despite similarities to the Meals on Wheels charity, Wilson noted that their service is a bit different.

If approved, kaumatua can pick up the meals directly from the food bank.

“We can’t deliver, unfortunately. We do not have funding and don’t have the vehicles.”

Wilson hopes another agency may eventually step in to deliver the food packages.

Cheesy, low-sodium lasagna ready for the oven. Photo / Tom Eley

The food bank has a stockpile of 180 meals so far, with more meals still being produced.

Eventually, Wilson hopes to scale back the cooking to fortnightly or monthly.

“Plus, we have Good Bitches Baking coming on board so that we will have lovely cupcakes this week,” Wilson said.

The volunteers creating the meals are not on a fixed roster and will have people come and go, Wilson said.

“Whenever people can make it, that’s all good.”

Debbie, Rebecca and Neville discuss the step-by-step guide of making the food. Photo/ Tom Eley

The one permanent fixture is Neville Waho, who is there every week driving the truck, Wilson said.

Among the volunteers producing the food this week was Daniel Kumar, who was in charge of cheese sauce when the Waikato Herald visited.

Kumar said the kitchen environment was family-like and relaxed.

“Everyone is just around a big, big table.”

Kumar, volunteering with his partner, Rebecca, said this was their second time helping: The kitchen team enjoyed his cheese sauce so much that he was asked to make it again.

“I got told to make the cheese sauce last week. Apparently, everyone in the kitchen liked it.”

Having worked in country club-style restaurants in Fiji with his father before the Covid-19 pandemic forced closures, Kumar is familiar with professional kitchens.

Now he views cooking with the Christian Food Bank as a passion project.

“At the end of the day, when I go home after doing this, it gives me a sense of peace knowing that I’ve contributed.”

Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. He previously worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive.