There is no doubt that food prices have risen and with the present disruptions in the Middle East there will be further additional costs coming our way.
The price of fuel has virtually doubled. Imported goods will rise in price.
Increased costs are hitting all households, but some can absorb those costs more easily than others.
The Social Crust, our own Community Foodbank, provides food for approximately 70 families on average but at the highest point last month there were 100 families asking for help. These numbers include Greytown. For the last three months the average number of food boxes for Martinborough and surrounds has been 60. In the first week of April, we provided 69 Food Boxes into our community. The highest number ever.
Gavin Findlay CEO of the NZ Food Network believes that it was during Covid when people began to struggle to keep food on the table. Since then, he says the need for assistance has escalated. He believes that many are unaware of the difficulties people are facing. “Once”, he said, “you would know all of your neighbours and people would offer to help. Now people are more isolated. The Food Network delivers 30 tons of food and household essentials a day.
Asking for help is difficult especially if you have been used to managing yourself.
However, it can take just one setback to change all of that as happened to Ana, her husband, and two preschool children. Ana had just had a baby. When she was breast feeding, she noticed a lump on her breast. She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer.
“It was a bombshell”.
“All my treatments were in Wellington”, said Ana. “I was told it wasn’t sensible to drive after treatment, so my husband had to take me to the hospital.
We were lucky that my husband’s employers helped in every way they could. It also made it possible for me to take my baby with me when I went for treatment. She was on formula, so it was practical. But my husband’s work hours and income were compromised by his driving me into Wellington”
Luckily, we had elected to have Whaiora or Well Child for our postnatal care provider.
Knowing that I would be incapacitated after treatment and also short of money Whaiora notified May Croft at the Martinborough Food Bank. In our letter box they dropped off a list of items the food bank had available so we could place an order.
It was a god send. With 6 rounds of chemotherapy 15 rounds of radiation and surgery my energy levels were totally depleted. Shopping and housework were beyond me.
“My Mother-in-law came from Auckland to help. She stayed for the whole year. That was a challenge, she laughs, but we couldn’t have managed without her”.
With the Foodbank you are assigned Foodbank dollars which means we can choose what our family will eat. It allows us to budget so there is no waste.
The “Second Bite” table is stocked with items near their best before date and we can get some fresh fruit and vegetables free.
To begin with I felt nervous about asking for food. But the people who work at the foodbank were so helpful and cooperative. One especially always has a kind word and carries our food box to the car for us.
I will be on treatment for the rest of my life.
The Foodbank has helped us through this crisis. It has allowed me to have quality time with my family. I could not be more grateful”.
