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October 11, 2024
Dave Letele’s BBM Foodbank closure confirmed
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On October 11, 2024
Download AudioSouth Auckland community leader Dave Letele is heartbroken over his announcement yesterday about the closure of his Wiri-based BBM foodbank after Christmas due to costs and insufficient funding.
The operation, which received $87,500 in Government support this year, relied on years of fundraising and distributed more than $500,000 worth of kai.
At its peak, the foodbank provided meals to 700 families, including schools and community groups, but in March, it scaled back to 200.
Letele says the misinformation Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spread last night about their funding is frustrating.
“Christopher Luxon he really done my head last night, on the news, talking about, you know, we got $170,000 this year. You know, whoever gave him that information is totally wrong. So I screenshot our grant contract and text it to him that we only receiving $87,500 this year. That’s all we’ve got, and while we’re grateful for it. It’s nowhere near enough. You know, if we make it to March next year, we get another 87,500 but it’s just not enough,” says Letele.
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