This article was first published in eMessenger in March 2019.
Food insecurity is the lack of secure access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that is needed to ensure normal growth and development and an active and healthy lifestyle.
Access to the basic necessities of life such as adequate food, clothing and housing are fundamental to wellbeing. The Child Poverty Monitor reported that one in five children in New Zealand|Aotearoa live in households that do not have access to enough food or healthy food. This is more than 160,000 children – that is 20% of all Kiwi kids and we are a nation that prides itself as punching above its weight in agriculture.
The reality is that in the land of plenty, many 0 – 17 year olds who live in low income households go without fresh food and vegetables alot. Many households receive support from foodbanks and is often the only way they can ensure there is some food on the table or in lunchboxes each week.
Food insecurity is linked to adverse health outcomes like iron deficiency anaemia, obesity, and poor physical and mental health. There is often a sense of shame of not having enough food to feed your family and often children will be kept home from school because there is nothing to put in their lunchboxes. This impacts on children’s potential for educational achievement and also their social relationships.
Source: Child Poverty Monitor https://www.childpoverty.org.nz/!/#/flow-infographics/food-insecurity
Research by the Auckland City Mission found that families using their foodbanks had on average $21.94 per family member per week to spend on grocery items, including toiletries, cleaners and food. The University of Otago’s food survey in 2018 estimated that basic weekly food costs for a basic diet was $71 for a man, $60 for a woman, $74 for an adolescent boy, $44 for a five year old and $29 for a one year old. So the $21.94 a week for does not even cover the costs of a basic diet for a one year old.
Palmerston North Methodist Social Services has a food bank which is available for families, couples and individuals who require emergency food assistance. They receive large weekly donations from FoodStuffs and Pak’n’Save as well as regular donations from local churches and local people. The mission holds an annual food drive which is organised by the Lions Club.
The mission recently decided to make the food bank plastic bag free and now ask people to bring their own bags. However the biggest change made by Palmerston North Methodist Social Services to the foodbank was moving to an empowerment model. This means that instead of volunteers packing bags for people to pick up, people accessing the foodbank now get to choose what they want and need. This has shifted the power balance to the recipients as they now hold the power of food choice. It empowers the recipients by enabling them to make their own choices about what foods they pack in their bags. They suddenly have some autonomy and independence.
These vulnerable families are being gifted not only with much needed food for their own survival but also some human dignity with the power of choice and feel trusted by the organisation to make their own choices. Some of the stigma about accessing a food bank and receiving a hand out has gone. The service has become more recipient centred as they choose from a variety of food items. The mission has found that people are taking less food now they can choose what they need, than when they were given pre-packed bags.
Part of the mission’s philosophy is that they respect each individual as having their own intrinsic mana, and the mission aims to provide their services in a mana-enhancing way.
Palmerston North Methodist Social Services is always grateful for donations of food and these can be dropped off to their office at 663 Main Street, Palmerston North Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 9am – 3pm.
Alternatively, the mission also welcomes financial donations for their service which is run by qualified social workers to ensure that people can access other supports if necessary.
The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) is one of the collective in the Kore Hiakai – Zero Hunger project which is focussed on eliminating food poverty in Aotearoa through finding lasting, structural, mana enhancing solutions. The collective is grounded in Te Tiriti and is a strengths based approach which honours the wisdom of those with lived experience of food poverty. It is looking for sustainable systems which have long term viability, supports whanau and community capability and eliminates food waste. The project aims to make structural changes with enhanced social and economic policy which will lead to zero hunger in Aotearoa.
Hui are being held around Aotearoa in March and you can register on the website: https://zerohunger.org.nz/
The Methodist Church is one of the founding members of NZCCSS, along with the Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics, Presbyterians & the Salvation Army.
On the 20th February celebrations were held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of NZCCSS and the UN World Day of Social Justice. A prayer vigil was held at St Pauls Cathedral in Wellington and Rev David Harding took the lead for the Methodists. Ian Harris, the Lower North Island Synod Superintendent took part in the ecumenical service in the evening. David Harding is on the left in the photo below and Betsan Martin is on the right. Many thanks to David, and Ian and other Methodists who contributed to the day.
Carol Barron, Methodist Alliance National Coordinator, Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
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