Working families in Kāpiti are finding it difficult to afford the basic staples of kiwi life,
including bread, meat, vegetables, cheese and bottled milk, reports Jeremy Smith.
Some say they have not eaten meat in days.

That’s the message coming through to staff at the Kāpiti foodbank in Paraparaumu.
Foodbank Director Kerry Lovell says the range of people coming to the foodbank in
completely different from two years ago- it now includes working-class people often with
both partners working.

Beset By Problems
She says this group is finding it tough to meet the bills, including rent, and to pay tax and
ACC levies and cope with the rising price of petrol. The only milk for some is powder from
Fonterra.

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She also says while the government says it is giving support to Food networks, this does not go directly to the Kāpiti Foodbank, something not understood by the public. Kāpiti foodbank is
further down the distribution chain.

Labour MP’s nowhere to be seen
She also says she does not hear from either of Kāpiti’s two Labour MPs, Barbara Edmonds or Terisa
Ngobi.
And the ethnic background of people seeking supplies from the Foodbank now includes
many more Pacific people than two years ago.
Apart from material donated directly from Kāpiti people, the Paraparaumu Foodbank also
receives food from Kiwi Community Assistance based in Granada.