Open Arms in Whangārei helping to keep school kids well fed

Open Arms food bank assistant Ihaka Kapa gets school lunch packs ready for pick up on Monday mornings. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A Northland food bank is helping more than 60 struggling families with lunch packs so they can send their children to school at the start of each week.

The Open Arms centre in central Whangārei is giving out between 60 and 80 lunch packs a week and families collect them before school every Monday.

Foodbank co-ordinator Sam Cassidy said there were usually four items in a lunch pack— biscuits, raisins, a muesli bar and a packet of chips — that have either been donated or bought by her team.

"It's for whānau just to help them out when they don't have money for school lunches on a Monday morning. The lunch packs can also form part of the food parcels we give out."

One case involves a family of two adults and eight children who each receive a lunch pack on Monday morning.

"Both are beneficiaries who are doing everything right to provide for their family but are struggling at the end of the week," Cassidy said.

Apart from the lunch packs, the food bank gives out between 90 and 150 food parcels each week and Cassidy said the demand was still high.

She said more than 536 a week were given out as more families struggled with the winter power bills, apart from food and other costs.

"Not just those on benefit but low and even middle-income earners are struggling out there. All it takes is one or two bills to land and they've got nothing for the week," she said.

She has seen families of up to 16 adults and children living in one house and they required a food parcel every two to three months.

"That's like three whānau living under one roof so we double the food parcel. And some of them are even working but still can't survive."

The Open Arms food bank provides free food parcels twice a week and serves free meals twice a day, six days a week.

It also provides anyone in need, homeless or facing homelessness with space to rest, wash and seek support.

Donations to Open Arms can be dropped off at 102 Robert St, during opening hours, and cash can be donated online, www.155.org.nz/donate.

Call 09 437 0185 ext 4 or freephone 0800 120 926 re donations.