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PJ TAYLOR attended the final foodbank session at the Salvation Army East City Corps on February 28. Understandably, everyone agreed it was a “sad day”.
Emotions were there. Everyone was smiling and trying to keep upbeat.
But there were tears at times, hugs and consoling – staff and clients – members of the public who have relied on the social services and fellowship the Salvation Army East City Corps has given in Howick since 1987.
Where will they go now? The people that called in for groceries, budgeting advice – advice in general, for help navigating life’s hurdles, to worship, and shower.
Yes, showers, two homeless men have called in regularly to the Sallies’ on foodbank days to clean themselves.
It’s the generosity of spirit – to help another person, no judgement, only love and compassion, that is the Salvation Army ethos, and Howick has benefitted from for almost four decades. Auckland for 141 years.
The Times has agreed not to name or picture the people quoted, out of respect of a sensitive time. Readers, members of the Howick community, know who they are. All the staff and volunteers who won’t have employment or social services work and fellowship to do after March 14.
One fielded a call from a local school principal who said: “What can we do to save it?” The foodbank.
The answer was: “Nothing. It was too late.”
In recent Times stories, Salvation Army hierarchy said that East City Corps has become financially unsustainable.
Revenue is down nationally – government grants have been cut or reduced, and donations to the Red Shield Appeal have declined each year since Covid. There’s not as much money floating around for charity donations because of the cost-of-living crisis.
Overheads, bills – the cost of running a large building, for example – have also been on the rise.
The Salvation Army is not the only organisation to experience financial challenges that are making it rethink where it deploys resources and can cut costs.
Schools have played a big part in contributing to the East City Corps foodbank. Lots of them.
Then there’s all the supermarkets in east Auckland, Rotary Clubs, lots of others including private individuals, who have donated groceries. For people in-need, folk who haven’t enough in the budget to cover food.
“There has been very good support,” the Sallies’ workers say, of the east Auckland community’s contributions.
There are six women who arrive at different times while the Times gets a tour of the foodbank pantry, pleasantly described: “It’s a little supermarket without a till.”
Groceries are available free, but on a points system depending on their household budget.
These are women who come from homes that have workers earning a living, but because costs are high, for example rents, their household budgets don’t stretch far enough to cover all food requirements.
Next to the foodbank is a “toy grotto – a special treat at Christmas” – when gifted toys are given to families who have struggled to buy a present or two for their children.
“I’ve been here for eight years,” says one East City Corps employee, who is upset about its withdrawal from Howick, but “I understand what’s happened”.
“This is more like a home. This is my community. I feel very responsible.
“I’ve worked with these people for a very long time. Yes, there are professional boundaries, but I have found it to be very much a family here.
“We talked about our lives, our kids.”
The worker says they’ve tried as much as possible to save the operation – social services and foodbank – “to have that ripped out is hard”.
“I feel for the volunteers that are here day after day, keeping the foodbank going. We’re a tight-knit team.
“It’s very sad for the community.”
The Salvation Army East City Corps foodbank that opened for four hours a week has provided 20 to 30 food parcels every week, each the size of a supermarket trolley load.
“The demand has steadily increased over the past three years, and we’ve stretched the parcels as far as we could,” says another worker who finishes giving budgeting advice on March 14, when the Wellington Street Sallies centre closes for the final time.
The financial advisor, with an almost four-decade career in banking, knows “the costs of running a business” have led to the impending closing, “no matter how hard we’ve tried to cut costs”.
“The foodbank has just been a starting point to unpack their issues.”
They add that the police are also sad about the Sallies withdrawal from Howick because they are one social services provider they can refer people in need to.
“In the last year, more people have come through who have lost their jobs or had reduced hours.
“These are people who have never been unemployed. Never asked for help. They’re embarrassed.
“Then there are the pensioners still working into their 70s to make ends meet.”
The worker, who describes their role as “financial mentoring”, says people who come to the Salvation Army for monetary guidance are from households where budgets have been overwhelmed by rising costs and bills, because of the increasing “cost of rent portion of income”.
They say they’ve managed to write-off $1 million worth of debt owed by people who have come to get their help just in the past year at the Howick office.
“It’s a privilege to work here. I love our community. The volunteers are so reliable. We depend on them.
“Our clients know this is a safe place to come. They’ve now lost that security.”
A volunteer in their 70s says they’ve worked at East City Corps for nine years.
It’s their church, too, and they were one of the last 20 members of the congregation that dwindled over the past decade until Sunday worship services ended in early December.
“I’m sad. We are helping people in the community. It’s important what we do.”
- For earlier stories on the withdrawal of the Salvation Army East City Corps from Howick, read:
https://www.times.co.nz/news/salvation-army-closure-no-decision-on-propertys-future/
