The cost-of-living crisis affecting most kiwis, is severely impacting people supported by Te Tāpui Atawhai – Auckland City Mission.

Missioner Helen Robinson says after the last two years, she didn’t think matters could get worse. Yet the rise in prices for food, fuel and most other household necessities, coupled with the ongoing issues caused by the pandemic, means the Mission is seeing a distressing year on year increase in demand for food support.

She knows that as winter sets in, demand will continue to rise as the choices people are having to make become impossible. On top of already difficult decisions between feeding their family and paying for life’s necessities in the current economic situation, winter brings additional expenses such as heating costs, travel, and more medical costs.

"The dramatic and continued increase in the demand for food is deeply, deeply concerning," she says. “And as temperatures drop in the next few months, the Mission fully expects to see that heightened demand continue, and very likely increase further.”

There are hundreds of thousands of people across Auckland, who don't have enough money to buy enough good kai for their families. Ms Robinson says they turn to the Mission when they simply have no other options to provide food.

Since COVID-19 hit and now with the rising cost of living, Ms Robinson says there is a greater range of people coming to the Mission. She notes people were just eking out a living but now can’t stretch their weekly income stretch far enough because, for example, they had a few shifts cut or are facing bigger petrol costs.

Demand for food parcels has almost tripled since before COVID-19.

In 2021, Auckland City Mission distributed 63,400 parcels of food, compared to 45,500 in the year before, and to 26,200 in the year before that. In the first three months of 2022, the Mission distributed 12,800 food parcels – the highest ever for the time of year.

Ms Robinson says that while she recognises that a box of food containing household ingredients is not the long-term answer to food insecurity, families need that short term support so they can stay healthy and well and keep being part of society. She says that the Mission also supports people with budgeting advice and advocates for better financial opportunities for people, with a hope that people will be able to have all the kai they need in years to come.

“We are asking for help during our Winter Fundraising Appeal which begins this week,” says Ms Robinson who notes that the Mission spends significant amounts of money on food despite items being donated by the public throughout the year.

The Auckland City Mission Winter Appeal is now underway.

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