Demand soaring for Wānaka foodbank

Volunteers divvying out food to households in need are reporting their workload has close to doubled this winter as the cost of living crunch is sending many more community members their way.

In July the foodbank at the Wānaka Community Hub packaged up food parcels to help more than 330 people, with at least 20 new sign ups for the month alone from people who have never accessed the service before.

Kate Murray, manager of Community Link Upper Clutha, which runs the service, says plenty of the people showing up come from households where members are working, but budgets are still incredibly tight.

"These are people that are teaching your children, that are caring for your parents, that are in the construction industry."

Yet she still predicts the foodbank is only "scratching the surface of the need".

The foodbank's fridges and shelves are stacked with grocery items, produce and meals donated by local residents, community gardens and community group food drives, or rescued by KiwiHarvest, who comes over the hill from Queenstown on a Tuesday to do the rounds of Wānaka supermarkets and food outlets

Foodbank clients "fill out a shopping list", Ms Murray says, which a crew of volunteers then bags up, and there is even the option for 'click and collect', while anyone who is elderly or unwell can have a drop off service.

It is important for them that the process mimics that of any regular supermarket as much as possible, as it provides "as much dignity as possible" and allows people "choice of what they are eating", Ms Murray says.

One client describes the foodbank as "an enormous help".

They say are "beyond grateful" for the food provided, along with other "very practical bits and pieces...like loo paper, toothpaste and even a sunblock" during a time when they had been feeling "overwhelmed" by a head injury and things had been "financially hard".

"This was a saviour for me."

Community Link food security coordinator Yvonne Walker says her regular team of eight to ten volunteers has been "running off their feet" to respond to the spike in demand.

In July they clocked up 74 hours of volunteer labour.

"We couldn't make it work without them," she says.

Community Link operates out of the Wānaka Community Hub on McDougall Street.

It has extended the opening hours of its foodbank to ensure people can access support outside of their working day, if required.

It is open Mondays, 1pm to 4pm, Tuesdays 8am to 9am and 5pm to 6pm, Wednesdays 10am to 2pm and Fridays 9am to 3pm.

Community Link can also connect people in need in the community to other support services, including counselling or budget advisory services.

Keen to support the work of the Wānaka foodbank? There are many ways that you can help. For more information, get in touch.

Main image (Supplied): Volunteers Kay and Wendy working at the Community Link Upper Clutha foodbank located at the Wānaka Community Hub.