Category: Government

Dear Meagan

9/7/2021

St Anne's Pantry supports the idea of, "An industrial scale state-house building programme"

Here is a copy of our email to John Minto who is preparing to speak on behalf of many of us demanding more State House Building.

Kia Ora John

St Anne's Pantry (Foodbank) Porirua delivers 30+ food parcels weekly to households in Porirua City and the Linden suburb of Wellington City. We work with 25 volunteers. It saddens us as we stand on the doorsteps of food parcel recipients (766 of them since 1 January 2020 who have received over 2000 parcels) and observe how many whanau live in very poor, cold, damp, unmaintained houses. The spirits of many are downcast, their mental health is fragile and their physical health appears very subpar.

We are aware in our area that there are some new houses and units being built by government partnerships, however they are too late and too few.

Count us as one of the support agencies of the State House Building Coalition Appeal to the Government to launch an industrial scale state house building programme.

Nga mihi nui

Margaret & Terry Alve
St Anne's Pantry Management

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NGOs to Government: Income support rates must go up before Christmas

9/11/2020

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St Anne's Pantry has joined a super group of unions, children’s organisations, service providers and church groups calling on the government to raise benefit rates before Christmas.

The NGOs have signed an open letter addressed to PM Jacinda Ardern, Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni and Minister for Finance Grant Robertson stating the situation is urgent.

We have responded to this letter as follows:

We welcome this opportunity to add our support to this letter to our new government leaders. By the way, "Congratulations on decisively winning the recent election." We suspect your Christmas will be a really good one!
Day in day out we field requests from desperate families in Porirua who are hungry and dis-spirited. Our research suggests most requests are entirely genuine. We know this because after our greeting when we drop off a food parcel, we receive an apology, often suggesting the recipient feels ashamed for having to ask. These people deserve better.
We'll do all we can to lovingly support the 600 families on our books in Porirua this Christmas. What will you do Jacinda, Carmel and Grant?
Terry & the SAP Volunteer Team

The open letter lists record breaking unemployment increases, and the surge in demand for emergency hardship grants and youth homelessness support as reasons for the government to increase income support rates.

The open letter finishes by stating “Before the election, the Labour party has consistently said there's more work to be done to lift families out of poverty. You now have the mandate and opportunity to do so. Please increase income support before Christmas.”

Signatories to the open letter include:

ActionStation
Auckland Action Against Poverty
Auckland City Mission
Auckland Women’s Centre
Barnardos
Belong Aotearoa
Beneficiaries & Unwaged Worker Trust
Beneficiary Advocacy Services Christchurch
Birthright NZ
CCS Disability Action
Child Poverty Action Group
Citizens Advice Bureau
Community Networks Aotearoa
Disabled Person’s Assembly
Equality Network
FinCap
FIRST Union
Lifewise
Manaaki Rangatahi
Manawatū Tenants’ Union
Māngere East Family Services
Mental Health Foundation
Methodist Alliance
Monte Cecilia
National Council of Women
New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations
Ngā Tāngata Microfinance
NZ Disability Advisory Trust
NZ Accessibility Advisory Trust
NZEI Te Riu Roa
Pacific Women’s Watch NZ
Public Issues Network: Methodist Church
Public Service Association
Renters United
Salvation Army
Save the Children
Social Justice Group of the Auckland Anglican Diocese
Social Link
St Anne’s Pantry
St Matthews in the City
Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services
Tick for Kids
Tokona Te Raki
United Community Action Network
Unite
Urban Neighbours of Hope
VisionWest
Waipareira Trust
We Are Beneficiaries
Wesley Community Action
Whānau Āwhina Plunket

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Media enquiries:
Terry Alve E: stannespantry@gmail.com M: 027 944 4996
For interview with other organisational spokespeople contact:
Ruby Powell, ruby@actionstation.org.nz, 0221027414

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St Anne's Pantry News

Dear Meagan

St Anne's Pantry supports the idea of, "An industrial scale state-house building programme"

NGOs to Government: Income support rates must go up before Christmas

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