Food providers get together

JOINT EFFORT: Logan Bathurst (front left), Elaine Brazendale, Lorna Clarke and Megan Gray sign the memorandum of understanding forming the Carterton Community Food Collaborative, supported by food bank members June Nelson (back left), Carol Wood, Yvonne O'Dowd, David McKenzie and Jenny Leighton. PHOTO/ALISA YONG

Providers of food parcels in Carterton are coming together in a collaborative approach to serving the community.

The Salvation Army, the Carterton Food Bank, the combined Carterton churches and the Carterton District Council have joined forces to form the Carterton Community Food Collective (CCFC).

Carterton food parcel providers will continue to distribute parcels independently but will now use a shared database to share information and provide referrals.

Judi Rendall from Connecting Communities Wairarapa said demand for food parcels had increased.

"Need has grown and access has grown ... and although need has been satisfied one of the things that everyone has been aware of is that they are not best meeting the needs in terms of delivering other services.

"This is about ensuring that when people come their needs are well canvassed within whatever anyone wants to disclose. They can be referred to other services that may be available through those people or other services so their needs are totally met."

People would still be able to go to their preferred provider to obtain a food parcel, Ms Rendall said.

"It's enabling people to go to where they feel comfortable. Some people may not feel comfortable going to a church so they would go to the collaborative (food bank)."

Sharing information among providers would create a better service, she said.

"Basically it's to enable wide access for Carterton communities to food and other appropriate support - to have a collaborative approach between all the providers and to identify gaps in services."

June Nelson, who has been involved with the Carterton food bank for 30 years, said she hoped the initiative would increase the number of volunteers. "I think it will be good because we are getting less and less people."

Chairwoman of the CCFC Megan Gray said the new organisation was a registered charity, which would improve access to funding.

Over the past two months 49 adults and 53 children benefited from food parcels provided by the food bank, she said.

Food donations can be dropped off at the Carterton Events Centre or at New World. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact the collaborative on 06 379 7493.