Seeing others acknowledging their vulnerabilities shows how widespread the issue is and that we all need help at times.
Food aid provides immediate relief, but it cannot solve the deeper causes of food insecurity. We need both short-term support and long-term systemic change.
Food insecurity ranges from worrying about food to skipping meals or entire days without nutrition.
Chronic food insecurity is linked to systemic issues such as poverty and inequality.
Temporary food insecurity is usually triggered by a specific crisis such as a job loss or a natural disaster.
Even a temporary drop in income can make it hard to reliably access sufficient, safe and nourishing food that meets our dietary needs and preferences.
During the global Covid-19 pandemic, widespread job losses, business closures, reduced hours, lockdowns, health concerns and caregiving responsibilities pushed many, including higher-income households with higher fixed expenses, into short-term food insecurity.
Beyond the immediate crisis, the emotional impact of seeking help also became clear.
Sudden hardships heighten the stigma of needing food assistance.
We may feel shame and embarrassment when seeking help because of cultural attitudes and negative stereotypes.
This may deter us from accessing foodbanks or social supermarkets, even when we are struggling to feed our families.
For example, those on the front line report that many older people avoid seeking help because of not wanting to be a burden.
Many who are reliant on superannuation struggle with rising living costs and unexpected expenses. These challenges are often under-represented in official statistics.
The impacts are serious. If we go without food, our health and wellbeing suffer, and the true scale of food insecurity stays hidden.
That’s why providing food is only part of the solution. Ensuring we feel safe and respected when seeking help is equally critical.
Community organisations play a significant role in ensuring food security, including our local food bank City Mission Whanganui, which operates a food distribution hub and social supermarket.
Foodbanks help families quickly, minimise waste and strengthen community bonds.
City Mission Whanganui provides food parcels to clients from over 50 community organisations and distributes food directly to 10 more.
Food comes mainly from nationally sourced donations and surplus stock.
So far this year, over 44,000kg of food has been distributed locally. That immediate aid kept thousands of households from going hungry.
The social supermarket is a model designed to provide affordable, nutritious food to people in need, while maintaining dignity, choice and access to social support services.
The social supermarket works like a regular grocery store.
People register, pay a nominal fee and then shop using a points system, allowing shoppers to choose food within their allocation.
Locally, foodbank and social supermarket use is highest among women and people aged 30–49 years, highlighting families under pressure, and Māori, highlighting systemic factors.
Despite strong community partnerships, City Mission Whanganui is struggling to meet growing demand, which is 90.5% higher than this time last year.
Without policy changes to lift incomes and lower costs, foodbanks will always fall short.
Efforts to diversify with fresh community-sourced produce and protein have helped, along with bulk-buying essentials through community funding and donations.
Considerable efforts have also been made to improve storage and transport logistics, reduce operating costs and to work collaboratively.
While impressive, it’s not the services or infrastructure that make it a success, but the dedicated people working together as part of the co-ordinated food distribution network.
This community approach, with its necessary efficiency and spirit of collaboration, could benefit the wider population far beyond food security alone.
While systemic change is essential, local initiatives such as food drives provide immediate relief and directly engage the community.
Volunteers note that lower-income areas often give more, as lived experience fosters empathy.
Critics raise concerns that food aid can undermine dignity, provide poor nutrition or foster dependence on charity.
In practice, many foodbanks now offer balanced parcels and models such as social supermarkets preserve choice and respect, showing that assistance can support both health and dignity.
While reliance on donations is a limitation, partnerships with supermarkets, growers and community groups help maintain supply.
Most recipients are grateful, challenging stereotypes and reminding us food insecurity can affect anyone.
While central Government is purportedly funding urgent food aid and pursuing systemic reforms, our community continues to struggle.
Inadequate funding means long-term planning and sustainability is difficult, if not impossible, despite strong community support.
Without adequate Government funding, our community is facing food shortages and rationing, stricter eligibility rules and longer response times.
This will lead to more hunger, stigma, frustration and strain on our community.
No spin masks the reality that many households live week by week, lacking financial resilience.
The demand for food aid is becoming too great to rely solely on community funding and goodwill, highlighting deeper drivers including rising living costs, unemployment and inadequate social support, all of which require systemic solutions.
Any solution must include both strengthening food aid in the short term through immediate support for foodbanks and tackling poverty and inequality through longer-term policy initiatives.
As the items on the table remind us, food insecurity can affect any of us, at any stage of life.
Regardless of our position, we share a collective responsibility to act.
Whether donating, volunteering, or advocating for systemic change, we can all contribute in ways aligned with our values and circumstances.
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