Covid 19 coronavirus: Wellington City Mission foodbank demand quadruples

Te Amo Roberts is the Down Community Ministry's longest-serving staff member and works in the foodbank. Photo / John Williams

Demand on Wellington City Mission's foodbank has quadrupled since the Covid-19 lockdown period began.

The organisation would usually distribute 80 food bags a week but that's increased dramatically to 329 bags in the past seven days.

Of those, 80 per cent have been delivered by staff straight to people's front doors.

Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge said people and families were beginning to feel the financial impact of Coronavirus.

"Behind these numbers are real people and families who through no fault of their own, are now finding it even harder as a result of Covid-19."

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Edridge said the situation was a test for the Mission.

"Considering we're without volunteers and have been unable to ask for food donations, a tremendous amount of effort has gone into ensuring we're still able to deliver our essential food bank and social work services.

The Mission is acting as the regional co-ordinator for food parcel distribution in Wellington during the lockdown

Its drop-in centre is closed, so staff are distributing frozen meals and food bags instead.

Meanwhile, the Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) has identified a group of the most marginalised homeless or those at risk of homelessness.

Director Stephanie McIntyre said these people have been assigned to a support team.

"They will be supported across a number of areas, including money management and access to income, food support, emergency housing, connection to mental health support, and access to medication", she said.

DCM has also provided those who are homeless with mobile phones so they can keep in touch during lockdown and an 0800 number has been set up for them.

• Covid19.govt.nz: The Government's official Covid-19 advisory website

An additional 38 self-contained units have also been secured at a private property so rough sleepers can have separate bedrooms during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Last week the Compassion Soup Kitchen reported the number of meals it was making had doubled to 150 a day.

Wellington City Council community services manager Jenny Rains said several agencies working with the street and at-risk communities were finding donations for household items and food banks have dried up, due to current restrictions.

Organisations required funding assistance so they could buy directly from suppliers, Raine said.