Waka of Caring in Manurewa serves 200 food parcels a day, and gave away 35 pallets of clothes in two weeks. Photo / Royal Wolf
Waka of Caring in Manurewa serves 200 food parcels a day, and gave away 35 pallets of clothes in two weeks. Photo / Royal Wolf
A South Auckland food bank and drop-in centre that serves the Manurewa community with 200 food parcels a day is looking for a new home after being served with an eviction notice by its landlord.
Waka of Caring provides food, clothing, home essentials and human connection, with no criteria, making the centre a lifeline for vulnerable families in the cost-of-living crisis.
The drop-in centre has occupied the property on the corner of Great South Rd and Mcannalley St, since November 2019.
The community group has been in a dispute with its landlord since 2020 after alleged complaints from other tenants in the same block.
But the former youth worker in charge of the hub, Debbie Monroe, says that she has an answer for every claim, and that recent tensions are due to one local who frequents the area.
“We’ve got people with mental health issues that have nothing to do with the drop-in but they sit out there. We’ve rung the police. We’ve tried to contact the organisation that one person is under. But no one is willing to sort the problem out with this person,” Monroe said.
Whaea Debz, as she’s known by locals, says her team has done everything they can to help the situation but not even police intervention has stopped the issue.
Debbie Munroe outside the Waka of Caring store in Manurewa. Photo / Julia Gabel
Documents from the landlord’s lawyer obtained by the Herald allege Waka of Caring had rubbish outside the property, that drop-in centre activities were taking up space outside and blocking foot traffic to other businesses, that visitors were standing or sleeping outside on donated furniture, and that neighbours had complained saying they feel unsafe when asked for money and cigarettes.
But Monroe says she has a good relationship with the other businesses and her staff operate like security for the area.
“We’ve actually stopped armed robberies. My partner has saved a pizza delivery guy that was getting beaten up outside.”
Monroe agrees that there is anti-social behaviour on the block, but it was an issue long before her drop-in centre started.
“There’s no point fighting it because we are getting blamed for something we have no control over. We can’t control people with mental health [issues]. They blame us for people who sit outside and drink but that has always happened down Mcannalley.”
The sofas outside waka of caring have caused headaches for business owners, but Auckland Council say they can stay. Photo / Debbie Monroe
To appease the neighbours, Monroe says Waka of Caring downsized, swapping their larger premises with another business to “keep the peace”.
The fight has gone on for three years now, and Monroe and her team are mentally preparing to move on, but they are in desperate need of a new location.
The food bank’s landlord, approached via their lawyer, did not wish to comment.
A place to call home
Waka of Caring was run out of Monroe’s home for eight years before securing funding for the current location.
The drop-in centre now churns out 200 food parcels per day, and they gave away a whopping 35 pallets of clothing in the past two weeks.
“I don’t know how we’re going to do it but we have to make sure we can still give people food parcels and clothes. We’re not shutting down. We just want to go from one place to another and open up even if we have to spend all night there [preparing] to open up the next day because we know how bad the need is.”
Monroe is looking for a location in Manurewa or Takanini, with enough outdoor space for two shipping containers used for storage, a large kitchen, and enough space inside to efficiently run their food parcels and clothing donations.
She is staying “calm and collected”, putting on a brave face for her team and hoping for the best.
“We need a bloody miracle.”
Debbie Monroe spoke to Scotty Morrison about Budget 2023 and the cost of living crisis on Marae. Photo / Supplied
‘Something has gone wrong in New Zealand’
On Sunday, Monroe spoke to Māori current affairs programme Marae about Budget 2023: “We feed 200 whānau a day because something has gone wrong in New Zealand. This is just not Māori, this is just not people on the benefit, or how everyone thinks, drug addicts. This is working-class people struggling.”
When asked by the host Scotty Morrison what the greatest need is Monroe said: “Compassion. There are so many judgemental people out there, it’s not funny. [And] the right people with the right money. There are organisations out there that get a s***load of money and they don’t spend it where they should.
“It shouldn’t be about number-crunching. We get referred from MSD, Kāinga Ora, Sallies, the maraes, because they don’t fit into the criteria.
Green Party MP Marama Davidson is a Manurewa local too. Photo / Dean Purcell
Green Party co-leader shows support
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is a Manurewa local who has seen the impact of Waka of Caring in the community.
“Food banks and community hubs play a special role in communities, especially those in their time of need. Places like Waka of Caring are at the heart of communities, run by people who care for others, who know the community well, who are inclusive and accepting without imposing conditions,” she said.
“I have had the privilege over many years to see Debbie and the team pour their heart and soul into caring for Manurewa people. They do this with very little support and resource because people trust them. I have always been grateful for their leadership.
“It’s disappointing we need charity in the first place, as they are symptomatic of the fact that not everyone can get by. I acknowledge also that places like Waka of Caring are more than just a place to help those who have missed out – but are part of the cohesion of Manurewa,” she said.
This report was produced under the Public Interest Journalism initiative, funded by NZ on Air
