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Download AudioThe manager of a South Auckland foodbank says the COVID crisis has exposed deep structural flaws pushing a huge number of whānau into poverty.
Darryl Evans says the Mangere Budgeting Centre established a foodbank about eight years ago, and until the pandemic, it was distributing up to 250 parcels a week.
During last year’s lockdown that went up to an average of 3000 a week.
It’s down to between 1400 and 1700 a week – only because there are now almost 60 foodbanks across Tāmaki Makaurau.
“When you’re paying 20 per cent of your income on food and then 60 per cent to the landlord, the armbands do not keep you afloat. So we are now seeing desperate families, we’re seeing families who before would call us once in a blue moon, they’re now ringing us every three or four days,” Mr Evans says.
An annual survey of 1500 whānau done by Mangere Budgeting Services found a whānau of four that last year would have has $83 a week to spend on kai this year has to eat on $39 a week.
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