After a health and safety briefing Dame Cindy was one of the team serving guests a hot meal.

Her visit coincided with the 187th birthday celebration of Compassion founder Suzanne Aubert.

Mother Aubert established the Soup Kitchen 121 years ago. Located near central Wellington, it has been a key component of food security in Wellington ever since.

"The Compassion Soup Kitchen continues Mother Aubert's remarkable legacy by supporting people in need in our community, including those struggling with mental health issues, addiction, homelessness, and poverty" says the Governor General's blog.

Aubert's mission was to ensure there was no need for a soup kitchen in Wellington, says the Compassion Group's co-Chief Executive Dr Chris Gallavin.

"The need for a free warm meal is increasing for many in our city," he said, adding that over the coming months the Compassion Soup Kitchen will be doing all that it can to step up to meet the need.

The Compassion Soup Kitchen serves nearly 200 meals each day and has delivered over 50,000 meals in the last twelve months.

"Whoever walks through that door in need gets a meal," says Soup Kitchen manager, Sam Johnson.

Dame Cindy's visit formed part of a series of activities to mark the anniversary of Suzanne Aubert's birth.

Celebrations also included Mass held at the Chapel of Our Lady's Home of Compassion in Island Bay on Sunday, 19 June.

During his homily, Cardinal John Dew highlighted Aubert's love for all, saying: "Let us have a heart like an artichoke and so big that everyone can have a leaf of it".

Aubert was born on 19 June 1835 in Saint-Symphorien-de-Lay, near Lyon in France. She emigrated to Aotearoa New Zealand in 1860.

She was a prominent teacher, nurse, health care innovator, social welfare pioneer and advocate for disadvantaged children, the poor and the sick 'of all faiths and none'.

Source

• NZ Governor General's blog
• Scoop

During the 2020 lockdown, the Soup Kitchen distributed an average of 153 takeaway meals per day.

This year the number of takeaway meals began at 190 and by Monday it had risen to 235.

Soup Kitchen manager Gary Sutton says that in 2020 he estimated that about 200 was the maximum number of meals they could manage.

He has added additional staff to meet the 2021 increased need.

Sutton said he is very grateful for the support of the Wellington City Council.

"So far they have restocked our PPE and remain ready to provide all our needs in this regard. This includes protective coveralls, disposable gloves and face masks; anything we need.

"The council arranged for the awning to be put up to protect the whanau from the weather when they pick up their takeaway meal.

"They did this on Day 3 of lockdown not even waiting for the government to announce the extension!"

The council have also tried, not so successfully, to source takeaway food containers, spoons, forks and paper bags.

"They sourced some items, burger boxes for example, but had trouble sourcing other containers so we have ordered from our usual suppliers and should get additional stock in a few days," said Sutton.

He said their relationship with other partner organisations has also been strengthened during this time, particularly with Wellington City Mission, Wellington Homeless Women's Trust, another women's refuge as well as a marae in Lower Hutt.

"I receive calls regularly from senior Wellington City Mission management thanking us for providing them with 45 hot meals we provide daily for the whanau staying at Te Paapori.

"They also offer to assist us in any way they can during this time."

"Your support especially at this time, is much appreciated," said Sutton

"There is no need for anyone to go hungry."

Source

• Supplied

Work that is less visible nationally but very important locally is happening everywhere.

Foodbanks and soup kitchens are two very busy basic services working hard behind the scenes.

Some extraordinary ingenuity is being used in these extraordinary times when essential Catholic spiritual work such as, attending to the sick and dying, is severely restricted by Level 4 rules.

Dunedin

Two St Vincent de Paul staff have continued to work providing food parcels. Because the usual donations of food at parish Masses has not been available, food has been bought with donated money, including with a grant from the Tindall Foundation.

The Dunedin and Central Otago Catholic Social Services (CSS) counselling and social work teams are keeping in touch with people using Zoom and phone calls, providing support, counselling, information and helping people get food parcels, technology support and financial help when needed.

Mike Tonks, CSS Dunedin Director, says life for some people has been a little easier under lockdown, with some having less anxiety and reporting they are coping better.

Christchurch
Catholic Social Services Manager Jon Brian says team members are working from home to support parishioners via phone and video link. People are pleased to "unload" to a professional counsellor outside their "bubble," he says.

"Almost all the people reached didn't expect to be contacted or to be able to contact counsellors; they were pleasantly surprised and grateful for that," Jon said.

Catholic hospital chaplains are continuing to work from home, connecting with patients and hospital staff by phone and other devices.

Wellington
Hospital chaplain Lizzie Wootton says chaplains are learning to adapt to new rhythms and routines, at a time when face to face contact is not possible.

But she is able to talk to and pray with people in hospital using their own and hospital phones.

"I try to be present to them because human presence in any form helps with mental health and healing," Lizzie said.

The Compassion Soup Kitchen has doubled its meal production to more than 150 a day since the lockdown started.

The kitchen has closed its communal dining area, instead, they are distributing meals at the door.

Auckland
Catholic Social Services, Catholic Caring Foundation and St Vincent de Paul's foodbank in Newton are working together to get food parcels out to the elderly.

Parishes are also responding to the crisis by setting up phone groups to call elderly parishioners to see who needs help.

One parish is forwarding fresh produce to Vinnies, while another is ensuring that protective gear is made available to the volunteers and staff at the foodbank. Another parish programme is being set up to help the elderly receive their flu vaccinations.

Source

Supplied: He Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa
New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference

It is considered an "essential service".

"We will provide kai for as long as we possibly can," the Compassion Soup Kitchen management say in a statement.

The Compassion Soup Kitchen has moved to provide one nourishing takeaway meal a day, served to the whanau from 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm."

The whanau have been encouraged to swap phone numbers so that they can stay in contact with each other during this difficult time.

Staff are keeping whanau informed about what Alert Level 4 means for day-to-day life.

There are two kitchen teams to reduce contact and staff were wearing personal protective equipment as well as keeping two metres apart.

The Soup Kitchen is also providing prepared meals for the Wellington Night Shelter which was reporting a higher than normal volume of people wanting meals.

The Wellington City Mission continue to distribute food parcels through the front door of The Mission with appropriate physical distancing measures in place.

Staff are using our fleet of vehicles for the delivery of food parcels to peoples' doorsteps.

Wellington City Missioner Murray Edridge said all public toilets and showers had closed, providing another challenge for the homeless to keep clean.

"If this goes on for four weeks or longer - what do we do?"

Eldridge said the mission had been working to provide alternative accommodation and was working to reduce the number of people in night shelters.

Auckland City Mission cancelled its daily free meals for around 300 people because of the risks of having a large crowd indoors.

It is instead running a takeaway food service, which will be available between 11 am and 1 pm.

"Alongside other agencies, we're currently working through the practicalities of how we can continue to help people in need of emergency accommodation. said Auckland City Missioner Chris Farrelly."

"We currently work with around 400 emergency housing suppliers each day to support over 2600 households with their urgent housing needs."

Source

• soupkitchen.org.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• wellingtoncitymission.org.nz
• aucklandcitymission.org.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

It is the brainchild of community worker Natasha Rerekura and one of the soup kitchen's regulars, Muigal Kimani, more commonly known as Kim Sawa Sawa.

"We inspired each other to set this up," Rerekura said.

"The reason it started was I noticed with some of the guys that they were avid readers but there was no place for them to read."

The closure of the central library had taken away a major indoor space where they could go and the replacement pop-up centres, such as Arapaki on Manners St, didn't have the same kind of space for them.

A call went out for books and people quickly responded: a few dozen different books came in, more than enough to help fill the space.

Rerekura said some of the most popular books were ones on culture, classic cars, travel and crosswords.

She'd noticed too that the guys would talk about what they were reading with each other.

Compassion Soup Kitchen manager Gary Sutton said the space the library was installed in was a place where people accessing their services could relax in during the day, in an environment where they were treated with dignity - a major value underpinning the work of the Soup Kitchen.

"We feel like collectively we're doing something together here. We provide the books and the space and we try to support our guests as best we can," he said, "They do see each other as a whanau."

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

They also won the Health and Well-being category.

The Wellington Airport Regional Awards are run by the Wellington International Airport, the Wellington Community Trust and five local councils.

The focus of the awards is to celebrate volunteers for their valuable contribution to society.

The Compassion Soup Kitchen will now be in the Regional Award Finals to be held in November this year.

Karen Holland, the manager of the Compassion Soup Kitchen said: "This is a wonderful acknowledgement of the work of the Sisters and our volunteers.

"The Sisters of Compassion have worked in partnership with many volunteers and benefactors for over 100 years.

"We are so proud to be a part of the story of Suzanne Aubert, the sisters and the Wellington community.

"Thank you to the Wellington City Council, Wellington Community Trust and to the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards for this recognition of years of service."

In response to an invitation from local doctors to help provide social support to a growing community, Suzanne Aubert and the Sisters of Compassion came to Wellington in 1899.

Among the works they began in the city was the serving of soup to around 80 men each day out of a sliding window in the kitchen of St Joseph's Home for Incurables in Buckle St.

The Soup Kitchen continued on the Buckle Street site until the Sisters moved to premises in Sussex Street in 1973.

It moved again in 1999 to the current site at 132 Tory Street, not much more than a stone's throw from the original location.

The Soup Kitchen has over 200 volunteers who help in the kitchen, dining room, and with its purposeful activities project. They also share their talents to help our whanau.

Source

scoop.co.nz

soupkitchen.org.nz

Image: facebook

The ceremony took place at 7am on a cool Wellington morning and was attended by about 100 people.

The space for te mara (the garden) was gifted to guests of the Soup Kitchen by the Sisters of Compassion.

Speakers included the mayor of Wellington Justin Lester, representatives of the Tangata Whenua, the Sisters of Compassion and those who set the garden up.

The final two speakers were representative of the whanau (guests) who gather at the soup kitchen each day for food and companionship.

Matt Petrie, a social worker at the Soup Kitchen and kaiarahi (leader) of the garden project, thanked the many people who had contributed to setting up the garden.

Te mara was given the name Tupaea in honour of the memory of Ngati Tupaea, the hapu who lived near what is now Courtenay Place before Europeans arrived in Wellington.

It is hoped Tupaea will be an oasis away from the streets, yet in central Wellington, growing kai that the Sisters, whanau, staff, volunteers and anyone from the wider community who contribute can all share.

Petrie said te mara is about giving a sense of pride.

It is a central part of He Rakau Koikoi, a programme of purposeful activities that help whanau improve their wellbeing and which allows them to look with hope to the future.

By working in the garden, whanau learn new skills, practice old skills, have fun and enjoy being with other people.

"For many people who come here, they experience poor mental health, loneliness, isolation, depression, anxiety and low mood but by working on the garden some of those feelings start being removed," Petrie said.

"They have more control back in their lives and can face the world more positively. They start to look forward and have improved self-esteem and confidence. It's a great outcome."

Source

• Supplied
• scoop
• dailyencourager.co.nz
• Image: Supplied

Markle, who is Prince Harry's fiancee, says on the first day she "felt really scared.

"I was young, and it was rough and raw down there, and though I was with a great volunteer group, I just felt overwhelmed."

When Markle considered volunteering there again, she sought the advice of her theology teacher, Maria Pollia.

She needed to know how to volunteer without being afraid.

Pollia said she told her "to put the needs of others beyond your own fears".

Markel says she remembered this advice long after her junior year.

She mentions this advice in a book she was interviewed for: "The Game Changers: Success Secrets From 40 Women at the Top: How to Become a Fearless, Fabulous Girl Boss".

Pollia says she feels such recognition is just as much a credit to the school (Immaculate Heart High School) as to her own views about serving others.

Source

• Crux
• Brit + Co
• Image: Insider

In the past 12 months, the Compassion Soup Kitchen served 9,939 breakfasts and 17,493 dinners. Providing two hot meals a day six days a week, two social workers to work one on one with guests, free computer access and opportunities to participate in meaningful activities, the Compassion Soup Kitchen supports people in need to live with dignity in the community.

This year the Compassion Soup Kitchen celebrates 115 years of operation. This service is possible due to the goodwill and generosity of the people of Wellington and beyond. Continue reading

"Our guests will benefit significantly from the change in law", she told CathNews.

"Our chefs are very creative but will welcome the opportunity to offer a greater variety of food and further improve our guests' nutrition.

"I'd call this redistribution of food a 'win-win", said Nance Thomson.

In June this year the Food Safety Minister Nikki Kay announced that a 'Good Samaritan' clause will be introduced to the Food Bill, allowing restaurants and supermarkets to donate perishable foods without the liability they currently face.

Nikki Kaye says the amendment, currently before the Select Committee, will reduce the liability of donors and better protect businesses that "give good food in good faith".

A report published Wednesday by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation found that each year about a third of the food produced for human consumption worldwide is wasted.

The approximately 1.3 billion metric tons emits the equivalent of about 3.3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases which is about twice the amount of carbon emitted from the U.S.'s transportation sector and close to twice the yearly emissions of India.

That wasted food also wastes water and the report states that about 250 cubic kilometres of ground and surface water is used each year to produce food that is ultimately wasted.

The Sister of Compassion have been running the Soup Kitchen in Wellington for more than a century. They offer daily a 'no questions asked' free breakfast and a $2 'family style' dinner.

This week the Soup Kitchen is looking for donations of milk, potatoes, canned tomatoes and eggs.

Sources

• RNZ
• Soup Kitchen
• UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (pdf)
• Image: Soup Kitchen

Guests were last year introduced to the garden by its coordinator, Robert Te Whare, and since that time Robert has driven a vanload of people from the soup kitchen to the garden every Monday. They often return with regular harvests of fresh vegetables for the evening meal.

The medal was given to Sister Felix primarily for the work she did in the Wellington soup kitchen which was then in Buckle St.

For more than 12 years she cooked breakfast and dinner every day, visiting sick, elderly, and lonely people in the community in between meals.

She was attacked by a drug addict at age 84, was back at work the next day to cook for the masses, and knows how to make tripe edible.

At Upper Hutt's Home of Compassion yesterday, Sister Felix was mortified that one-time fellow soup kitchen worker Eddie Mollier had nominated her for a New Zealand Local Hero medal.

"I'd like to wring his neck," she said with a chuckle, eyes twinkling. "He thought the sun and the stars shone out of me - I was his pin-up girl," said Sister Felix.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: Hutt News

That was at a time when the economy was booming.

National statistics suggest the recession may have roughly doubled those numbers since then. Today More than 40,000 children are being fed by charities every week as low-income families struggle to cope with soaring food prices.

Dr McNeill was moved to undertake the study after returning, in 2005, to the suburb of Fairfield in Hamilton where she had spent the first fifteen years of her life. A young man knocked on her door on a Sunday afternoon asking for food.

"I ate my own dinner that night wondering about the nature and prevalence of foodlessness in my community," she said. "What had happened in my old neighbourhood that people were now reduced to door-knocking to meet basic needs?"

Source

• The Waikato Times
• The New Zealand Herald
• Image: Newswire.co.nz