The community leader opened up in an emotional Facebook video. Video / David Letele
Members of the public have stepped up to help save Christmas for hundreds of South Auckland families relying on a community foodbank run by former heavyweight boxer Dave Letele.
A Givealittle page has been set up after Letele - who heads the Buttabean Motivation (BBM) Foodbank - announced their stocks would not last to Christmas, after thousands of dollars’ worth of meat and frozen products were ruined when a freezer was intentionally turned off.
A forklift housed at the same place - at a local church - was also vandalised.
“Thanks to whoever turned off the freezer...now the frozen kai we had left is all off. We can’t win, man. I’m out - I can’t take this. Over and over and over,” a clearly emotional Letele said on Facebook yesterday.
Boxes of frozen meat and product were left spoiled after the freezer housing the kai was turned off. Photo / Dave Letele
“How do you continue, you know? You do all this stuff and you just get knocked down again and again and again. I just can’t believe it.”
Less than 24 hours later, a fundraising page has been launched after Letele said he had had people from the community reach out asking for somewhere they could donate to.
“I’ve had lots of people reach out... No matter how big or small the donation is, we are extremely grateful for the support given. Thanks so much team,” he wrote.
Almost $33,000 had been donated just before 1pm today, thanks to the generosity of more than 500 people.
‘Keep up the great work - never give up’
BBM Motivation founder Dave Letele pictured with Philip Tele'a, who lost more than 100kgs at one of the boot camps run by BBM. Photo / Brett Phibbs
Many of those who donated left a message on the page, thanking Letele and his staff for the work they did in their community.
“Keep up the great work you and your team do. Never give up,” one person said.
“All the best, David, to you and your team. Thank you for helping me when you did,” another wrote.
Another person simply left a heart emoji - with a $500 donation.
On the Givealittle page, Letele said they urgently needed support after their 6m container freezer - which was filled with thousands of dollars’ worth of frozen meat and food for the BBM Foodshare foodbank - was switched off, resulting in the complete loss of pallets of frozen goods inside.
“Unfortunately, this means that everything we had stored to help struggling families has now gone to waste.
“We simply cannot afford to replace the food we’ve lost and, without this resource, we’re unable to continue to providing the support to our families in need.”
BBM Motivation has been around for the last 10 years and runs programmes to help people with their personal health, fitness and life goals.
Its free programmes are designed to help local communities - particularly Pasifika and Māori - affected by obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
They run free community boot camps, a 12-week lifestyle programme for people with long-term health conditions, mental wellbeing focus groups and the BBM Foodshare foodbank.
BBM Motivation also runs two free gyms in West Auckland and South Auckland; as well as another in Tokoroa.
