Food parcel demand tripled from previous lockdowns

August 30, 2021

The Takanini Gurudwara distributed over 4000 food parcels last week.

The need for food parcels this lockdown has tripled according to multiple organisations distributing thousands of food parcels.

The Takanini Gurudwara was once again transformed into a mass food drive last week, distributing over 4,000 food parcels.

The Supreme Sikh Society have organised for three days of food drives at the Gurudwara every week until demand dies down, but that’s not expected to be anytime soon.

“Demand has been three times greater this time round compared to last year,” says the President of the Society Daljit Singh.

Each food pack contains milk bottles, bread, an assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables, sweet treats like ice blocks, masks and a bottle of hand sanitiser.

“In a day we have responded to nearly 300 messages, around 200 calls and 200 emails, and the demand is increasing day by day,” says Sarabjit Kaur from the Supreme Sikh Society.

Masked and gloved up, 40 volunteers have been tirelessly working Monday to put together the food parcels, all of whom are deemed essential workers for the charity food drive.

Many families are struggling to feed their whānau.

The community have rallied behind the Supreme Sikh Society donating food and money to ensure the success of their food drives.

“We have a lot of community support, and people sponsoring especially the milk and bread,” says Daljit Singh.

Today people began to queue up from the morning and a line of nearly three kilometres snaked around the Gurudwara in Takanini.

Police were also on site making sure the process was running smoothly and ensuring the traffic jam was cleared up in the area.

Daljit Singh says they’ll be out here doing these food drives for as long as the community needs it.

Today KidsCan have also pledged to deliver 2500 food parcels to families in hardship in Auckland and Wellington after saying demand has doubled since last lockdown.

KidsCan had contacted schools and early childhood centres in areas hit by positive Covid-19 cases and they received heartbreaking responses which has prompted this initiative.

Many families are struggling to feed their whānau.

“The children in these families would have been fed breakfast, snacks and lunch at early childhood centres and school every day,” KidsCan’s CEO Julie Chapman says.

“Now, suddenly, their parents are having to find extra money for food in budgets that most people would struggle to survive on.”

The $200 food parcels from Foodbox will be delivered directly to families needing support and will contain bread, cheese, milk, butter, fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, flour, rice, oats, pasta and olive oil.

For those wanting to register for a food parcel through the Takanini Gurudwara, they’re urged to contact the Supreme Sikh Society whether by phone on 09 296 2376 or email supremesikhsocietynz@gmail.com.

And for those wanting to donate to Kidscan for their food parcels they can do so through www.19for10.org.nz .

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