One Love Waiheke has been inundated with food to deliver to homeless people staying at Te Puea Marae in Mangere.
Jeanine Clarkin and sisters Theresa and Andrea Rongonui called on Waiheke people to donate goods and JRB Construction paid for a car load of food to be taken on the SeaLink ferry to the marae on Wednesday last week.
About 30 people donated hundreds of items of food that the marae was happy to receive.
One Love Waiheke has been making regular trips to Auckland City Mission to donate home cooked meals and other goodies for the homeless, but decided this month to help South Auckland people who have been affected by the housing crisis.
Te Puea Marae has taken in about 20 children and eight adults who had nowhere else to live, says Andrea.
“In South Auckland there are a lot of people living two to three families in a three to four bedroom house and lots of families sleeping in cars.
“It’s just so sad. What really gets me is it’s everywhere – I know there will be families on Waiheke that will be struggling too, because it’s so expensive,” says Andrea.
Next month, One Love Waiheke will collect food for the Waiheke Budgeting Service food bank.
People are asked to donate non-perishable items and food that can be frozen to 23 Waikare Road or directly to the budgeting service at 6 Putiki Road before Wednesday 27 July. • Rose Davis
