Home-based foodbank needs help as demand soars in Christchurch

Having struggled to make ends meet as a solo dad, Corrin Webster decided to start his own foodbank. He now feeds 30 to 40 families a day, and supplies have taken over his home. Bea Gooding reports.

Corrin Webster and his family are looking forward to the day when their home no longer resembles the inside of a supermarket.

Take no more than three steps in any direction and you will be lost in a sea of shelving, with boxes piled high to the ceiling – all full of fresh, frozen and tinned food.

Because, to others, their home is known as the Hoon Hay Food Bank, a place where struggling families can collect parcels in order to put food on the table.

But after a year of supporting about 180 families a week, Webster is now turning to the community through Givealittle for their help in freeing up their home.

“We have no room in our house and we’re struggling for space. Some days we can’t even move and get to our oven, some days our whole hallway and rooms are full,” he said.

“We can’t even feed our fish some days because we’ve got to sneak through somewhere.

“So I’d like to build a shed or have some sort of Portacom or container – anything that will help, so me and my girls can have our house back.”

The foodbank is run exclusively by Webster and his family, with the help of daughters Mercedez and Portia Lee, sometimes up to six days a week.

A typical day includes picking up food donations, pre-packaging parcels and offering at least 30 to 40 families their pick of canned food, baking, fruit, vegetables, cereals and snacks.

For the former drainlayer, it has become a full-time gig in the past year since starting it.

The word spread after Webster initially provided parcels for two to three families each week.

Inspired by a friend who ran his own foodbank, he decided to take it further by giving back to even more families.

The cost of picking up bulk food five to six times a week to make bundles came from his back pocket, even down to the things he’d never considered, like plastic bags and pens.

With little outside funding, it was not possible without the aid of other foodbanks, financial or physical donations made by the community, and leftover food from the Government’s healthy school lunches programme.

“It’s been really difficult, but somehow we make it happen, and we’ll continue to make it happen,” said Webster.

Because the foodbank was not an established trust he approached the city council for help. It put him in touch with the Rowley Resource Centre.

The foodbank is now run under the aegis of the centre, supporting him financially, legally, and through referrals.

Centre manager Evelyn Kenneally said: “I think he’s doing a wonderful job. Part of our job is to encourage people who have initiatives and supporting them moving forward.

“Since Covid, people are still struggling to make ends meet and need the support of a foodbank. It’s winter, so people are choosing whether they pay for heating or food.

“We’re a low-decile area and people struggle, so I think they need as much support as we can give them.”

It did not matter what situation a person was in – Webster did not turn anyone away.

Within the space of 30 minutes, three people showed up at his home for a parcel – one was a mother who had just lost her job.

“It’s had a huge impact, it’s quite amazing,” he said.

“We’re happy to help anyone. It’s even people that do have a bit of money, but they’ve got mortgages as well and they’re having to come here.”

All Givealittle proceeds will go towards a new storage unit, with any leftover money going back into running the foodbank.

Donate to the cause here.