Community leader Dave Letele extends offer of help to those in need on North Shore

Community leader Dave Letele has urged community groups assisting flood-stricken families to get in touch for food and supplies. Photo / Dean Purcell.

Community leader and advocate Dave Letele has offered food and supplies to community groups helping flood-stricken families on the North Shore.

The former boxer is well-known in the south and west Auckland communities for food distribution and helping families in need through his group Buttabean Motivation (BBM).

This morning Letele furthered his reach telling community groups assisting families on the other side of the Harbour Bridge he was there to help them as well.

The North Shore was hit again overnight with more flooding and landslips affecting areas including Devonport, Beachaven and Chatswood.

Letele asked for community groups on the North Shore helping with food distribution or housing of displaced residents to get in touch.

“We know there are people there doing amazing mahi. If you are struggling with food supply and you are helping families please reach out and we will do our best to help you.”

Letele was already well established as a main distributor of food parcels and help to those in need in the South Auckland area.

As soon as the floods hit Letele and his team jumped into action and dropped food to community groups from suppliers including Pak’nSave Manukau and Foodstuffs.

Yesterday he put the call out for bread and George Weston Foods answered the call dropping off 700 loaves for Letele to distribute.

Letele made headlines this week after criticising Mayor Wayne Brown’s immediate response to the floods.

He called on Brown to resign from his post and said he was “out of his depth” and described the Council’s weekend’s response to the city’s weather emergency as a “disgrace”.

In a recent post on Instagram Letele took viewers on a tour of the Mangere Leisure Centre - a hub set up close to the Mangere Town Centre with food shelter and supplies for those affected by the floods.

The centre had clothing, food, refreshments and supplies as well as representatives and information from the Ministry of Social Development, Kainga Ora and The Fono Medical Centre.

“This is where it should have been from the get-go,” Letele said.

“This is the conversation I had with the Mayor Wayne Brown, at least he listened.

“All the services are here… everything you need is here.”

Letele thanked the community for wrapping around him so he and his team could help others.

He urged people helping on the front line to look after themselves.

“This is a long race and when people move on we still need to be here doing the mahi.”

Letele said what’s important now is for victims to be aware that help and funding support is out there, and they can access it by calling 0800 400 100.