As the rising cost of living continues to put pressure on whānau across Rotorua, a local volunteer initiative is making sure vulnerable families and kaumātua have access to a hot meal.
Feed Our Community – Rotorua, led by Talia Hingston and her whānau, is a self-funded community initiative delivering free kai directly to the doorsteps of people in need.
“We cook and deliver kai to our vulnerable kaumaatua, our whaanau and even homeless here in Rotorua,” Hingston says.
For recipient Wiki Brown, the support has made a meaningful difference for her whānau, including her five children.
“They asked me if I wanted kai, if I needed kai and I do. You know, I’ve got five tamariki and thank you so much. The kai is very delicious and we’re so grateful.”
Brown says rising costs can make it difficult to balance household expenses with supporting her children’s sporting interests.
“He nui te puutea moo te taakaro haakinakina. I kinda struggle with things. But, my babies wanna play and I’m an athlete. So, whatever they need to get them off the streets I support.”
The initiative is also supporting older residents who may be living alone. Brown says she considers herself a kaitiaki for an elderly kaumātua from the Coast.
“I have a beautiful kaumaatua from the Coast. I feel like I’m a kaitiaki to, because she’s on her own and she’s very old. I karanga atu ki a raatou maa and they bring her kai.”
Ngongotaha resident Anne Collier, who has raised her grandchildren for nearly a decade, says the support has helped ease the pressure of rising costs.
“It just makes a difference, it makes a huge difference to be able to afford something and not afford something. To not have to prioritise your money all the time.”
For Hingston and the volunteers, the long hours preparing and delivering kai are made worthwhile by the people they serve.
“When we see their faces it makes it worth it. It’s worth it.”
The team says it will continue collecting and preparing kai to ensure more Rotorua whānau do not go without a warm meal.