North Canterbury News: January 20, 2022

Food bank meets growing need
By DAVID HILL
One month on from arecord Toot for
Tucker haul, the shelves are nearly bare
at Kaiapoi’s food bank.
Community Wellbeing North
Canterbury supported more than 200
families in the lead up to Christmas
through the Kaiapoi Community Support
office.
That compares to 60 families who
needed support the previous year.
Kaiapoi Community Support coordinator
Gabi Barlow says Toot for
Tucker normally stocks up the food bank
for two or three months.
It means the food bank is heavily
reliant on Satisfy Food Rescue to
continue supporting families in need.
She says there were ‘‘a mixture of
reasons’’ for the increase, with the
impacts of Covid­19 high on the list.
‘‘We have families with reduced wages
and reduced hours and there was no
Waimakariri Community Christmas Day
Dinner, which was cancelled due to
Covid­19.
‘‘And we worked with alot more
agencies this year, so we had awider
net.’’
Volunteers also found there were a
number of grandparents who had
recently gained custody of their
grandchildren.
‘‘It really has been different this year,
there’s adifferent need,’’ says Ms
Barlow, who took over as co­ordinator in
August after serving as avolunteer for
five years.
‘‘We traditionally saw beneficiaries in
here, but now ‘middle class’ people are
coming in and we saw that over
Christmas.
‘‘It wasn’t just the level of need, the
emotional side was alot different this
year and the gratitude from the people
does effect you.’’
Supplies are running low ... Kaiapoi Community Support volunteers Sasha Crawford (left),
Jackie Ward and Janice Cassidy sort through the remaining supplies in Kaiapoi’s food bank.
Ms Barlow recalled one instance
where alittle boy’s Christmas wish of a
bike was met thanks to the generosity of
the community.
She says Christmas giving trees at
Blackwells, Kaiapoi New World, the
Kaiapoi library, Pak’n Save Rangiora,
Rangiora Toyota and the local Ray White
Real Estate offices were well supported.
One resident donated $1000 worth of
Summer Loving
OUR TOWN KAIAPOI
The North Canterbury News, January 20, 2022
PHOTO: DAVID HILL
groceries and presents.
Kaiapoi Community Support offers a
‘‘wrap around service’’ to meet people’s
needs.
Most clients only need support for one
or two weeks. After four food parcels, Ms
Barlow will sit down with clients to
assess whether budget advice, advocacy
with the Ministry of Social Development
or other support is needed.
15
Blackwells’
second go
at marking
150 years
Blackwells will makeasecondattempt
to celebrate150 years in styleover the
next two months.
The iconic Kaiapoidepartment
store’s planned 150thanniversary
celebrations werepostponed as the
countrywas thrust into lockdownin
August last year.
Managing director Andrew Blackwell
says the main anniversary dinner will
be held for invitedguests at the end of
this month, whilewinter fashions will
be promoted in­store.
‘‘We willberejigging ourin­store
promotions for mid­March witha
fashionshow andspecial promotions.
‘‘Mid­Marchiswhen all the new
season winter fashioncomes out, so it’s
the ideal time.
‘‘Weare workingonhow we keep our
numbersdown so we can manageit if
something crops up.’’
Covid­19 restrictions will apply and
vaccinepasses willberequired to
attend the fashion show under the
Covid­19 traffic light system.
Mr Blackwellsays the store
experienced astrong trading periodin
the lead up to Christmas and there has
been plenty of interestinthe summer
fashion.
‘‘There’s certainlyalotmore
Christchurch people coming out here
than there usedtobeand it’s not just
our storeseeing the benefits.’’
Follow Blackwells Department
Store’s 150thcelebrationsonFacebook.
2450681v1
Cnr. Williams Street &Raven Quay, Kaiapoi
Open 7Days
Phone: 03327 8029
www.blackwellsdeptstore.co.nz