Pāpāmoa "neighbours" gathered recently to hear about a new Pāpāmoa Food Hub.
Pāpāmoa "neighbours" gathered recently to hear about a new Pāpāmoa Food Hub.
A community leader has offered $1000 of his own money to help with the establishment of a new Pāpāmoa Food Hub.
About 40 people recently gathered at Golden Sands Baptist Church to discuss how the hub could become a reality.
The idea comes from Western Bay of Plenty Neighbourhood Support Pāpāmoa area co-ordinator Bruce Banks and follows the sudden closure of the Anglican-operated Pāpāmoa Family Services at the end of September.
The service had run out of the Hartford Ave site since 2010. It took over the Community Support Centre on Domain Rd in 2002.
Bruce says it was imperative that the community retain the services, so a lot of work needed to be done quickly. The emergency services and Neighbourhood Support food drive, which collects more than 50 trailer-loads of food is due to run on December 5.
He told the meeting the food hub would provide food parcels, care packages and run cooking classes to encourage independence for struggling families. The new entity would be established with assistance from Neighbourhood Support, SociaLink and other organisations, eventually forming its own trust.
The aim would be to engage with clients, offer free cooking classes and send out recipes with food parcels. The hub would also put clients in touch with agencies able to assist with improving their situations and moving them towards independence.
Western Bay of Plenty Neighbourhood Support manager Bruce Banks has offered $1000 of his own money to help establish a food hub. Photo / Andrew Warner
The organisation would be volunteer-based and, after the formation of an initial committee, would seek funding and look to gain charitable status. It would need to establish business relationships, and establish local food rescue partnerships “for Pāpāmoa people, by Pāpāmoa people”, Bruce says.
He says a rental space in the Baptist church had been offered, but at a cost.
It would also have “neighbours” at the church to provide community support to families, which would be referred to the hub by local agencies. The project would need an annual budget of about $50,000, and Bruce offered the first $1000 himself.
A Givealittle is to be set up, but many other kinds of support are needed, such as website design, legal help, cooks, shelving, storage, freezers and refrigeration and access to local food supplies.
A new committee would be set up comprising people who have volunteered their time, and many more people than were at the meeting had expressed interest, he says.
Anyone interested in being part of the committee, or volunteering for the project to do one of the many jobs available, can contact Bruce at nspapamoa@wbopns.org.nz or phone 027 271 3772.
