www.wairaka.net/ubinz/IR/items/2000308CentralLeaderFoodbanks.html

by Shannon Lindsay, Central Leader, 8 Mar 2000
 

About 70 foodbanks have joined forces to form the Coalition of Auckland Foodbanks Association.

The coalition will speak for close to 80,000 foodbank users.

"We'll have a united lobby group on issues," says Auckland city missioner Diane Robertson.

"We're not against the Government, but we'll address issues that affect our clients. There may be times when we think the Government is doing a good job but that's when we don't have to exist."

Having Labour leading the coalition Government is not yet cause for celebration, says Ms Robert son.

"I'd like to think things would change instantly, but I'm realistic. We've had 15 years or more of changes to the system, and more and more people need assistance."

The foodbank coalition has an eight member steering committee with two foodbank representatives from each of the region's four cities: Auckland, Waitakere, North Shore and Manukau.

Ms Robertson says the sharing of knowledge between foodbanks to aid clients will be just as important as a collective voice.

The City Mission, for example, will inform other foodbank advocates on how to liase with Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) to ensure a client has all the benefits they are entitled to.

Ms Robertson says some Winz offices are lax in explaining a customer's full entitlement.

"There's a huge resourcing problem for Winz in terms of giving time to people. Some offices are excellent, but others, you're banging your head against a brick wall."

Information about clients will not be shared, for privacy reasons.

Double-dipping, when a client visits a number of foodbanks in one hit, will therefore not be pre vented.

Ms Robertson says this is not a concern as she believes double- dippers make up only 10 percent of the City Mission's clientele.

Goods have been shared between Auckland's foodbanks via Foodlink at the City Mission for the past five years.

Donations to Foodlink are up on last year, says to Ms Robertson.

Foodlink's data from 52 foodbanks shows 21,592 food parcels were handed out last year, feeding about 76,000 people.

These figures exclude the three major foodbanks, which were still to collate their statistics.

The foodbank association will develop a mission statement, which is expected mid-year.