With winter kicking in the Auckland City Mission has calculated thousands of Auckland families are forced to feed themselves for less than seven dollars a meal.

The Mission is today (Monday 8 July) launching its Winter Appeal and with it is trying to ‘raise the breadline’ for those in the city facing very real food insecurity.

Mission Social Services general manager Helen Robinson says many Auckland families are living on just $720.00 a week. She says once they have paid rent, debt, power, transport and medical costs there is very little left to spend on food.

“The heartbreaking reality is that means a family of three has just $6.43 to spend on each meal. It also means their access to enough good quality, nutritious food is severely restricted.”

Ms Robinson says the government recently released statistics (https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/household-food-insecurity-among-children-new-zealand-health-survey) which show one in five kiwi kids is now living with food insecurity.

“The impact of that is obviously poorer nutrition, poorer health, and significantly more stress suffered by these families.

“Our appeal is looking to raise money to continue to run the services and support we provide to Auckland’s most vulnerable citizens, but we also want to try to raise awareness of food insecurity and just how devastating, wide reaching and long term the effects can be,” says Ms Robinson.

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