Kai Manaaki becomes Kai With Love (KWL)

KWL chief cook Haley Butcher checks the meatballs cooking for delivery to those in need.

When Cyclone Gabrielle struck Hawke’s Bay and Tararua devastating major parts of Hastings and Napier, Kai Manaaki (Dannevirke) was born.

Haley Butcher and friends with connections at a Napier marae perceived the urgent need for food and support, and offered to help with food cooked at Makirikiri Marae.

Supported by goodwill from farmers, businesses and a core group of 10 Tararua residents, a vehicle carrying food was travelling once a week to be distributed by the marae.

During the next 43 weeks, 200 meals a week were cooked in Dannevirke and delivered once a week until the need waned.

This year Haley and friends were inspired to do it all again — not to feed those in Hawke’s Bay, but to feed residents doing it hard in the present economic climate, particularly the elderly who had lost their Meals on Wheels service.

Kai With Love (KWL) team members taking morning tea break at the Dannevirke Holiday Park are Myra Kapuvai (left), Nanette Butcher, Renee Berryman, and Haley Butcher.

After investigation on social media as to the need, Haley gained permission from the Tararua District Council to use the holiday park kitchen, and a trial run found more than 20 recipients happy to pay $10 a meal, as no funding was initially available.

Haley says not only do the recipients appreciate the food, but they all like to have a chat — social contact being almost as important. The delivery of the meals took Haley three hours the day before this interview.

For a core group of original Kai Manaaki volunteers it has been a great revival too, saying they appreciate coming back to renew close friendships and spread their love. One said, “You can taste our love in our food.”

For this reason the new service has been called Kai With Love (KWL).

Holiday park manager Karl Thompson says it is great to see the kitchen back in use and hopes the service will continue.

If anyone would like to trial the service, which is running five days a week, contact Haley Butcher on 027 469 7573.

Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist based in Dannevirke. For the past 10 years he has covered any community story telling good news about the district.