The work of Porirua City Council staff continues this weekend packing up and delivering care parcels, supporting foodbanks and finding volunteers to ring elderly residents and check they’re OK.

“Council staff working from the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) are connecting across the community to provide support where it’s needed,” says Mayor Anita Baker.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to our staff who have been working seven days a week responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in a variety of ways. They are helping to keep our people safe and provide for their needs when they have no one else to turn to, while also continuing to provide essential services for the city.”

Porirua EOC Controller Scott Martin says the Council has helped purchase essential goods for Porirua foodbanks to meet the unprecedented demand it was facing.

“The organisation reached out to the Council for help when demand for food nearly doubled. In a normal month they’d supply about 16,000 tonnes of food to Porirua food banks. That skyrocketed to 25,000 tonnes in 11 days in April.

“Our staff have also assisted a local community group that needed help to deliver weekly food parcels to 98 Porirua families. And when support was needed to ring around 28,000 residents aged over 70, Council staff were able to connect the Ministry of Social Development with a group of volunteers who had offered their services.”

“At times we’ve also had to turn our EOC into a food distribution packing and delivery warehouse to support demand for food parcels in the city. Staff deliver them into the community, ringing ahead so that residents know they are on their way, then drop-off the packages, before waiting nearby to ensure they are collected.

“It’s been great to be able to respond in this way to help a local community organisation and support our local residents,” says Mr Martin.

Remember if you, or anyone you know, has no support and needs help to access essential goods and services please call our welfare helpline 0800 141 967 between 7am and 7pm, 7 days a week.

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