Food for Families - Providing Friendship and Food

   The St. Joseph Vinnies had a special guest visit us on Monday 25 May when Martin Reading from Food for Families came to talk to us about how Food for Families is providing community meals for people both at the Victory Community Centre and in Stoke. This initiative of helping people in the community who have fallen upon hard times is supported through the donations of local businesses and produce growers who provide donations such as fruit and vegetables to the meals. Martin said that the numbers at Victory Community Centre have grown since Food for Families first began. Martin also stated he couldn't get over the huge need that they came across in the Stoke area, they use to serve the meals from a truck and on the first night in the Stoke community had 60 people turn up with plates in hand to be fed. Now that the Winter months are here the Principal of Stoke School has provided the school hall for the dinner to be served there. Martin describes Stoke as an area of great need.  Food for Families has also been involved in providing lunches at the Nelson Polytech and is establishing another community meal site in the Tahunanui area. The St. Joseph Vinnies had created friendship kits that they were able to pass on to Martin to give out to the community meal recipients. These kits contained:

Candle - to see in the darkest times

Paper clip - to keep it all together

Band-aid - to heal wounded feelings

Rubber band - a reminder to stay flexible

Cotton wool - to cushion the rough road ahead

Safety pin - for the unexpected

Marble - to replace any that may be lost

Eraser - so that you can make your mistakes disappear 

Mint - Above all remember - you are worth a mint!

We had completely underestimated the number of people Food for Families provides for with only making 50 friendship kits and will no doubt have to get busy again making more for those who missed out as the year progresses.