A time of giving
The Marlborough community always pulls together to help the community food bank in times of need. Photos: Supplied.
PAULA HULBURT Opening the pantry, her heart sinks. Shelves packed with festive treats in years gone by are almost bare. Two tins of baked beans and a packet of soup mix sit alone where once the heaving shelves held the promise of shared dinners, of festive times to come. As she listens to her daughters giggling as they write their letters to Santa, she worries how she will feed them. It is not the Christmas of times gone by; it is not the celebration she had hoped for, everyone is feeling the pinch. But help is at hand through the Marlborough Community Food Bank and the generous support of the community. Marlborough Community Food Bank manager Wynnie
Cosgrove knows better than most how hard this last year has been for many Marlburians. She knows there are people struggling to make ends meet, worrying about where the next meal is coming from. There are families in the community, she says, who struggle, even when someone is in full time employment. And at a time of year when reality really starts to bite, she wants people to know that help is there. “The demand across the community has gone up everywhere. Not all people who come to us are homeless or unemployed.
“More than a third of families will have someone in full time employment. Hardship is out there. “We have pensioners coming to us for help which is tough for them as it is an issue of pride but at least they are asking for help.” According to latest figures from Stats NZ, the cost of living for the average household, (as measured by the household living-costs price indexes) increased by 7.7 percent in the September 2022 quarter. Higher prices for housing and food were the main contributors to the increase across all the households and Marlborough is no exception.
Not all people who come to us are homeless or unemployed.
The food bank, which supports people in the community in their time of need, is busier than ever, it’s shelves often emptying as volunteers struggle to keep pace with the sheer need for help. Wynnie is passionately protective about the foodbank and the people it is there to help. Her energy, drive and empathy have kept the crucial service going for 15 years. But it couldn’t be done without the help of the local community, she says. Every year the foodbank holds an annual street appeal for donations and this year’s drive in early December was crucial. “We are very grateful for everyone who helped with the appeal, Marlborough is a very generous community. CONTINUES ON BACK