Levin branch of St Vincent de Paul Society starts food charity appeal

St Vincent de Paul Society’s Levin branch vice presdient John Gibbs, secretary Kilian de Lacy, and Warehouse manager Hayden Kennard.

The Levin branch of the St Vincent de Paul Society has been granted permission to have a food charity box placed at the entrance of The Warehouse.

There is a wooden box at the shop entrance and people are encouraged to make donations of food that will be distributed to people in need.

St Vincent de Paul Society secretary Kilian de Lacy said it operated a food bank section at the Levin branch 365 days a year to help people through times of hardship.

“We are here to help people in genuine need.

“We don’t encourage people to come each week, but there is a genuine need out there. It might be that someone finds themselves in an emergency situation, like the arrival of a big and unexpected medical bill.”

The donation box was made and donated by members of The Menz Shed in Levin.

The Levin branch of the St Vincent de Paul Society was formed in 1910. The group went into recess in 1916 due to the disruption of World War I. It reformed in 1926, only to go into recess again in 1933, and restarted again in 1959.

The society’s work was varied, visiting the sick and bereaved, delivering food, even entertaining with small concerts at the War Veterans home.

“In our current times we see many devolving into deeper hardship and need, brought about by the prohibitive costs of living - food, warmth, housing, travel - with few if not non-existent solutions currently evident,” de Lacy said.

“These people exist today in our own community.”

The new Levin office of St Vincent de Paul opened in Prouse St in January 2022.

- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air.