Volunteer Deon Jordaan delivering a grocery order to Hastings resident Colin Campbell. Photo / Supplied
Volunteer Deon Jordaan delivering a grocery order to Hastings resident Colin Campbell. Photo / Supplied
A Hawke's Bay initiative beginning this week will allow older people, required to stay at home but without internet banking, to pay for their groceries.
This will take some of the pressure off the Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management's [HBCDEM] welfare response.
In the last few weeks HBCDEM has linked up with community organisations and agencies to create a "network of networks" working collaboratively with HBCDEM to look after the welfare needs of the Hawke's Bay community.
Those supporting the older persons network include Hawke's Bay DHB, iwi, home health agencies, friendly societies, respite day and residential care providers, local authorities and other advocacy groups.
In an example of this structure working exactly as it was intended, three of these agencies have got together to provide a solution for older persons who have the money, but no way to pay for the goods they need, said Kirstin Thompson, who is leading the network of networks older persons response.
"There are many people aged over 70 who are at home and have an eftpos card, but don't have internet banking or a credit card to pay for things online," she said.
"We have been working with the Ministry of Social Development, Age Concern and the New World supermarkets in Hastings and Greenmeadows and come up with a voucher system that solves this problem."
Thompson said with an MSD grant, Age Concern bought food vouchers that can be redeemed at the supermarkets, and now some mobile eftpos machines have been hired as well.
"Before this a large majority of the food box requests going to HBCDEM were from people in this situation who had no other option. Now we have closed the loop and resolved the problem so there is less demand on the emergency response.
"It's very cool - it's the magic of the network of networks approach."
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The people using the service are finding it works well and are even starting to send their shopping lists directly to the volunteers delivering their orders, following the physical distancing rules.
Havelock North Age Concern manager Carol Winters agreed and made special mention of her Napier counterpart Morag Hill who she said had been "tireless" in rolling out the initiative, at the same time as coordinating the frozen meal deliveries.
HBCDEM Group Controller Ian Macdonald said this emergency had resulted in many innovative solutions being developed between business, community groups, iwi and government agencies.
"These relationships will be enduring and can only enhance the ongoing resilience of Hawke's Bay to disasters."
