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PEGASUS POST Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz Thursday <strong>September</strong> <strong>17</strong> <strong>2020</strong> 7 News Foodbank adapts to meet pandemic demands Myriad groups help keep our community moving. Reporter Bea Gooding speaks to Foodbank Canterbury cofounders John and Janice Milligan about how the charity has adapted to support vulnerable Cantabrians Could you tell me a bit about what Foodbank Canterbury does? Foodbank Canterbury is a secular, independent non-faith based, nonpolitically aligned, nonactivist controlled food rescue organisation with a singular mission in mind – to fight hunger, feed hope and reduce food waste. Under “normal” times, FBC rescues two tonnes of food per day which resources over 5800 meals daily for the vulnerable and at-risk in the Canterbury, South Canterbury and West Coast regions. We are a 100 per cent not-for-profit organisation dealing with over 135 agencies throughout Christchurch alone – everyone from The City Mission, St Vinnies, the maraes and other iwi organisations, Pasifika groups, Women’s Refuges, Community Centres and food pantries, school districts etc. What kind of impact does your charity have on the environment and vulnerable Cantabrians? Collecting and distributing nearly 1.8 million meals worth of food each year through a network of partner programs gives us a stark understanding of the everyday realities of food insecurity. On a per-volume basis, FBC is the largest food relief organisation in the South Island, operating on a scale that makes it crucial to the work of the front-line charities who are feeding vulnerable New Zealanders. FBC provides more than 70 per cent of the food rescued for food relief organisations South Island-wide. Our volunteers are vital to our success and have contributed some 65,000 hours of their time in the last twelve months. To us, that’s worth over $1.6 million. Foodbank represents a ‘triple-win’ for SURGE: Co-founder and general manager Janice Milligan, of Foodbank Canterbury, where demand has increased 106 per cent since the beginning of this year. our communities – reducing food wastage and protecting the environment; providing food relief to hungry and vulnerable people; and strengthening our society through collaboration with local charities and volunteerism. What issues are the charity currently facing in the wake of Covid-19? In the current Covid-19 situation, we are processing and redistributing just on 100 tonnes of food product monthly – resourcing around 9,000 meals per day. That is an increase of 106 per cent since the beginning of <strong>2020</strong>. We are under no illusions about the challenge we are embracing. The current pandemic situation has made us at FBC realise this even more. Feeding the hungry is paramount. We are feeding people who have never put their hand up in need before, and the scary thing is that we do not know where we are going. There is no template. In spite of our suppliers – the supermarkets, manufacturers, distributors, growers and farmers being very supportive, FBC is still having to raise funding to buy-in staple food products to supplement what we distribute. We are also concerned that our rural areas are not being served and we plan to resolve this as soon as funding is available. We have seen over the past months, an explosion of altruism and cooperation. Now we need to move forward in not just a spirit of collaboration, but in a realistic act of collaboration to simply achieve. At FBC our byline is PHOTO: GEOFF SLOAN “fighting hunger – feeding Hope.” It is this hope that impels us to act. How has the charity adapted to these changes caused by the pandemic? In order to fill the gaps in demand left by the more tradition food pantries serving individuals, FBC is introducing the Hunger Action Team programme in NZ. By introducing HATs Foodbank Aotearoa New Zealand/Canterbury, it changes what it means to be a food bank. This is an innovation driven by the current environment. HATs are groups of individuals and organisations working in collaboration to solve hunger in a designated community. They are coalitions that bring people from across a community together to develop local solutions to hunger, supplying 10 day, two-week family packages of nutritious food to vulnerable whanau. Starting in Christchurch with initial collaboration with FBC, He Waka Tapu and Rotary International, HATs will be working in towns and neighbourhoods across the region – leveraging local resources and relationships to raise awareness about hunger, connect services to make it easier for people to get help, and launch new initiatives that strengthen each community’s capacity to meet local needs. This comprehensive solution to hunger requires seeking out new avenues of collaboration to create the greatest possible impact. Currently, our social media brings in around 15 contacts per day up from maybe 8 per month pre- Covid-19. He Waka Tapu is experiencing an even greater level. FOCUS ON HEALTH Natural support for healthy joints Joint issues will affect most of us at some time. They can show up in any joint such as in your neck, back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, hips, knees, ankles and feet. Cartilage is the protective surfaces between moving bones that allows them to move freely. It is constantly worn away and needs to be rebuilt on a constant basis. This repair process slows down for most of us as we age. The result is not enough cartilage in some joints causing the joint function to be less smooth. This is the most common form of arthritis, called osteoarthritis, and it leads to inflammation, pain, stiffness and reduced mobility of the joint. Joint pain can also be a factor in falls. Generally joints with the most use or stress show problems first. Many people seek pain relief from their doctor. The usual prescription is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, which offer pain relief but do nothing to stop the progression of the arthritis. According to the British Journal of General Practice, NSAIDs are not recommended for long term use and are responsible for 30% of hospital admissions, mainly due to internal bleeding, heart attack, stroke and renal damage. Research shows all NSAIDs double the risk of hospitalization due to heart failure. Supporting the body with the right - WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO HELP! - supplementary nutrients has been found to be highly beneficial in supporting joint health for many people. A local Christchurch company, Kiwi Natural Health or KNH, has produced an advanced, high-potency formula called “Joint Care Plus” to support healthy joint function. Inflammation of joints can cause pain and slows the healing process. Joint Care Plus contains turmeric, ginger and black pepper to help reduce inflammation and pain, and enhance digestion and absorption of its nutrients. The formula also contains nutrients that have been researched to support joint health, including boron, selenium, zinc, manganese, proline and MSM, as well as the highly researched glucosamine sulfate potassium chloride complex, and chondroitin sulfate. This comprehensive formula is in an easy to swallow capsule. Due to the amount of nutrients in the formula it is recommended to take two or three capsules once daily to achieve a necessary amount of each nutrient. In severe cases a loading dose of three capsules twice daily may be used. KNH JOINT CARE PLUS and further information is available from the natural health advisers, medical herbalists and naturopath at Marshall’s Health & Natural Therapy. ADVANCED NATURAL NUTRITION FOR HEALTHY JOINTS Are your joints painful, stiff, noisy, swollen or inflamed? This is often caused by a lack of cartilage, the soft spongy material in all joints between the moving bones. Sufficient cartilage allows the joints to move freely. KNH JOINT CARE PLUS contains a comprehensive formula of nutrients known to support the body maintain & replace cartilage & connective tissue as well as reduce inflammation & pain. The high potency formula is in easy to swallow capsules with advanced absorption technology for faster results. KNH JOINT CARE PLUS SUPPORTS: - Cartilage, ligaments & connective tissue regeneration - Inflammation & swelling relief - Pain relief - Joint flexibility - Healthy joint function MAIL ORDER AVAILABLE Super price 60 Capsules only $16.90 120 Capsules only $29.90 240 Capsules only $47.90 Bringing You the Best in Natural Health MARSHALLS HEALTH & NATURAL THERAPY CONSULTING - PRESCRIBING - DISPENSING - MANUFACTURING - MEDICAL HERBALISTS 101 SEAVIEW RD, NEW BRIGHTON • PH 03 388 5757 • Email: enquiry@marshallshealthshop.co.nz
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