Hoon Hay Food Bank under major pressure to keep up with demand

Food bought from a recent raffle has now mostly been distributed. Photo: Supplied

A Christchurch food bank is running out of supplies as food prices soar even further.

Corrin Webster.

The Hoon Hay Food Bank can now only give families who need help a can of soup or cannellini beans.

With only enough supplies to get them through to the end of next week, founder Corrin Webster and his partner Nicole Sutherland are on the hunt for more food.

If the food bank does not receive more food, it will have to decrease the amount of people it can help by half.

The increasing prices have caused an increase in demand and, at the same time, a drop of in donations.

Prior to the drop in supplies, each food parcel would contain a bag of pantry items, cans, flour, snacks and muesli bars.

Sometimes meat or fresh fruits and vegetables were also available.

However, the couple have been struggling to meet the rising demand for food parcels as donations dry up.

“We’re seeing a lot of people who have never been in a situation where they have needed to ask for help with food,” they said.

Food prices increased 8.3 per cent higher in August 2022 than the year before, Stats NZ said.

This was the highest annual food prices since July 2009, when prices jumped to 8.4 per cent.

Prices for fruit and vegetables jumped 15 per cent, while grocery food rose 8.7 per cent.

Said Webster: “Fruit and vegetables, meat items, and pantry staples are the most in-demand food as people can make meals without the need for other ingredients that they do not have.”

The food bank has reached maximum capacity as spots are booked out at least a week in advance.

Every week, it would distribute about 150 to 200 parcels.

“When asking for help from a food bank, it’s because you need help as soon as possible, so it’s not ideal being told that the foodbank is booked up but you can be booked in for the following week,” they said.

The pair sources donations from a range of suppliers, including bulk providers, local farmers and the community.

At their latest raffle, they sold more than 370 tickets, with each equal to a packet of cereal.

All of the cereal packs have since been delivered to people in need.

“We’ve been approached by some amazing local businesses and members of the community with items to donate as raffle prizes so we can continue to do these raffles,” they said.