Ehara tāku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.
My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.

As we move into winter we know many of our whānau will be making hard choices – choices between heating and food, between transport and school activities, between rent and paying off debt. These hard choices weigh heavy, on them and on us. Last week’s Budget announcements, particularly around core benefits increasing, give us hope. They show our current government is willing to put some reality to their rhetoric of compassion. But, this is not the bold or urgent action we might have been hoping for in order to address the depth of poverty in Aotearoa.

Still, we hold onto the hope this gesture offers, and the underlying value of compassion/aroha it seeks to embody. We continue to speak the truth and tell the stories of whānau and find innovative ways to collaborate together through alternative solutions.

Heading towards Matariki we know it is in our work together that the deeper solutions are found. We are grateful everyday for the many people and organisations who contribute to our mahi and to uplifting whānau locally.

In our pānui this month we hope you are inspired by the stories of others, find opportunities to connect and share your wisdom, see your contribution to how we are challenging the root causes of poverty and feel upheld in the amazing mahi that you are doing.

Fairer Future Campaign

In December 2020, 75 organisations signed an open letter to the Prime Minister calling for the government to increase benefits in response to the WEAG report and increasing costs of living. That group of organisations continue to give voice to the reality of living on a benefit. A series of media articles in the lead up to the Budget announcement gave more voice to this. Although the Budget did not lift benefit rates as far as we wished, continued highlighting of this made a difference.

In the 5 weeks leading up to the first incremental increase on 1 July, that same collective will continue to highlight this issue and encourage the government to change their mind and do the full increase on 1 July, instead of rolling it out between July 2021 and April 2022. Your organisation may wish to be a part of this campaign and find an appropriate way for you and your whānau to respond. Check out https://fairerfuture.org.nz/

Champion Stories

Waitara Foodbank - Pātaka Kai

It’s not just about filling bellies with a pre-set Food Parcel for a North Taranaki Foodbank - Pātaka Kai. It’s about delivering services in a dignified manner and utilising local resourcing to help make a healthier, more secure difference to those experiencing hardship.
 
Waitara Foodbank – Pātaka Kai make sure each person or whānau they support receives a Food Parcel that suits their individual needs, although it is acknowledged tailoring Food Parcels per discretionary choice and with healthy inclusions alone will not sustain long-term food security. Read more.

Read other Kore Hiakai Champion Stories and Pānui here. 

Just Kai? Webinar

Just Kai? Webinar #2

Community Food Distribution.
1pm Thursday 3 June, 2021

As community Food Organisations shape their practices and engagements with whānau in this post-COVID lockdown world we know we need to do so in relationship to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Join us to discover one way to explore that as Alannah Marriot & Tric Malcolm, from Kore Hiakai, share their Mana to Mana Practice framework. This webinar series aims to assist the wide range of community food organisations as we together try to create a Food Secure Aotearoa by responding to those who are experiencing poverty related hunger as well as addressing the systemic issues that drive that poverty. Join our conversations over the next 6 months exploring how we can move forward on this together.

Register here to attend webinar #2: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KU95pfk4Q1asEmRP9dnWeg

Check out our first Just Kai? Webinar: Food Insecurity, Food Security. What is the difference and why does it matter. This session was an introduction to the topics of food insecurity and food security and we intend to go deeper into aspects of these topics in future webinars. Here is a link to the recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KseTUQCBrM

There have been some other great webinar’s on offer recently including the Inspiring Communities Kai Webinar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUjcnn6Bk7s

Mana to Mana

Many of you have offered to be part of a workshop looking into the practical appplication of our Mana to Mana Practice resource. Our first one is the Webinar on 3 June:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KU95pfk4Q1asEmRP9dnWeg .

The next physical workshop will be in Auckland on 16 July. Venue to be confirmed. Details will be out shortly.

What is a Food Parcel?

Last year 34 organisations offered their wisdom insights about their Food Parcels and what they think a 'Standard Food Parcel' might be through a sector survey.

If we want to have a genuine understanding of how much food is being distributed in our communities, and how many people are being fed, then we need to consistently measure that together.

Over the last few months Kore Hiakai have been testing a measure, with a nutritional frame, to enable us to have a ‘Standard Food Parcel Measure’ that can be used across our diverse community food sector.

We are excited to announce the recommendations of all this wisdom and hard work.

Kore Hiakai Zero Hunger Collective recommend:

The Foodbank sector affirm and define a ‘Standard Food Parcel’ as being –

• For 4 people (made up of two adults + two children, or one adult + three children etc.)

• 4-days of food provisions (three meals a day)

• Complimentary to what kai a whānau may already have in their household and/or the discretionary money they have available from household budgets. If whānau need is greater or lesser, using the Standard Food Parcel size matrix, distributors can double or divide for individual need

• A temporary response to an immediate need and is not intended to be used long-term (maximum of 12 weeks*)

• Nutritionally adequate (within the New Zealand Standards); therefore, contains healthy, culturally appropriate food

• Can be adjusted for whānau, through what is available and what their needs and preferences are

This ‘Standard Food Parcel’ becomes an common measure within the Foodbank sector. This Standard Food Parcel can be divided or multiplied to create small or large or extra-large Food Parcels.

The Foodbank sector affirm ‘responsiveness,’ adjusting for the needs of whānau, as key to Mana Enhancing practice.

Confirm the pivotal role of local and national food rescue agencies to enable regular inclusion of fresh produce in a Standard Food Parcel.

The Standard Food Parcel meets 80% of the recommended nutritional frame (full Nutritional Guidelines per separate document).

* Whānau needs vary and distributors mostly aim to respond to needs. Although Food Parcels are not intended to be a long-term solution, and Kore Hiakai recommend a capped duration, it is acknowledged in some instances extended support is required at the discretion of the distributor until longer-term systemic changes that contribute to food related poverty are made

In mid-June, as part of honouring Matariki, we will release the ‘What is a Food Parcel?’ full survey document and nutritional guide. In Late June we will officially launch the ‘Standard Food Parcel Measure’ and beginning of its use by our pilot organisations from 1 July 2021. Watch our FaceBook page for details of this event.

If you wish to be considered as a pilot organisation, or want to know more about the nutritional guideline please contact our Weaver of Stories, Tammie tammie.korehiakai@nzccss.org.nz

Kore Hiakai Online Symposium for Academics, Researchers and Thought Leaders

In celebration of Matariki, during early July 2021, Kore Hiakai is inviting academics, researchers and thought leaders of Aotearoa from a range of disciplines to come together to share their knowledge and perspectives on food insecurity, and to identify and explore the key shift actions required to achieve a food secure Aotearoa. The event will involve a mix of short key notes and interactive conversation and hopes to build on many of the other Food dialogues currently happening across Aotearoa, whilst bringing together our dispersed wisdom and gaining greater understanding about the research happening in this space.

Places will be limited.

The date and registration link will be announced in early June (please watch our FaceBook page) or contact Barbara to register your interest, Barbara.korehiakai@nzccss.org.nz.

As winter folds its blanket around us we know whānau are looking for ways to stretch their dollars to cover housing, heating and food. Thank you for being part of the solution in our communities, for reaching out to create networks of support and aroha, for offering us the voice of your people that together we might address the root causes of poverty related hunger. May we all keep dreaming of a Food Secure Aotearoa and longing for that reality. If there is anything you would like help with, or an issue that you would like to collaborate with us on, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you for all that you do. Together we make a difference.
Ngā mihi nui,

Kore Hiakai Zero Hunger Collective
W. zerohunger.org.nz

Pou Ārahi
E. korehiakai@nzccss.org.nz
M. 027 462 4377

Pou Māori
E. wayne.korehiakai@nzccss.org.nz
M. 022 492 9667

Kaituitui Kōrero
E. tammie.korehiakai@nzccss.org.nz
M. 027 276 3605