Kāpiti Community Foodbank needs new home

Kapiti Community Foodbank co-ordinator Luke Wood and chairwoman Kim Lancaster. Photo / David Haxton

Kāpiti Community Foodbank is desperately searching for new premises.

The foodbank, by the expressway junction on Kāpiti Rd, Paraparaumu, has been leasing a building from the NZ Transport Agency for just over two years.

It has been the perfect building but the agreement is about to expire and the land gifted to the Māori Protection Trust.

"August is the deadline that we've been told and we're still looking for premises," foodbank chairwoman Kim Lancaster said.

"When we get the word it will be a month's notice."

A search has been underway but nothing suitable has been found yet.

"Unfortunately most people who want to be associated with a feel-good brand like us also want commercial rent," foodbank co-ordinator Luke Wood said.

"For the rents they're asking, that's our operational budget for the year.

"We run on a shoestring."

An ideal affordable building would feature storage and space as well as power and water.

The foodbank has been steady after a very busy two-year spike in demand.

A typical foodbank parcel.

In the previous 12 months the foodbank had a 17 per cent increase in demand, the year before that was a 19 per cent increase.

"That's basically got to do with all the low-cost rental people being kicked out, and the rents going up, as I'm sure everyone in the community knows," Mr Wood said.

"And the scourge of methamphetamine which is breaking up a lot of families and leaving them with nothing."

He said just under 3000 parcels were issued last year which fed just under 8000 mouths in the year.

The foodbank has a good relationship with supermarkets, schools, organisations, and individuals especially as "the plight of food insecurity" becomes more known in the community.

"And that's becoming more apparent as more and more people are approaching us as opposed to us approaching them.

"There's a lot of community awareness."

The foodbank, which turns over about $100,000 worth of food, also has 23 hardworking and reliable volunteers who are "sensitive to the plight of the people we're serving".

"We used to have two volunteers per shift but now we have four or five simply because of the demand."

The foodbank is open from 10am to noon Monday to Friday.

Anyone who might have a suitable building for the foodbank can call 04 298 1907.