K’aute Pasifika have delivered over 1000 free care packages including food and other household essentials to families in the Waikato since lockdown.
Working together with local food suppliers, community funders, corporate and public sector volunteers has meant vulnerable families have received much needed care packages.
“The reality for many families in our community is they need immediate help,” said Chief Executive Leaupepe Rachel Karalus. “The families we are supporting were already vulnerable and COVID-19 has intensified their vulnerability and added more pressure.”
Volunteers from organisations including UltraFast Fibre, Department of Corrections, Civtec and the NZ Police alongside staff from K’aute Pasifika have been working tirelessly, packing and delivering care packages to families in the region including Huntly and Ngaruawahia.
“We’ve received requests for help from a broad cross-section of the community including elderly people living on their own and unable to go to the supermarket, solo mothers living in motels, and people who have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced. We have also been contacted by family members living outside of Hamilton to deliver food packages to their families,” said Rachel.
“Providing free care packages is one way we can help reduce the pressures our families are experiencing. We couldn’t do this alone. It is thanks to the tremendous collective effort from our funders [Pasifika Futures Ltd, Trust Waikato and the Wel Energy Trust], food suppliers and volunteers that we’ve been able to make this happen.
“We also acknowledge the contribution of Hamilton City Council, St John’s Methodist Church and the Enderley Community Centre which provided us with the space we could prepare the packages, while maintaining social distancing measures”, said Rachel.
