Members of the Vinnies Auckland team reflect on their experience of service during Lockdown

Managing the Day to Day

I glance in the rear view mirror at the food boxes I have yet to deliver to two families. I wonder how long it will take me. As I sit on the Western Motorway in gridlock traffic having just finished work, my mind goes back to the eight weeks of Lockdown. Oh, how things have changed. I remember being on this same motorway a few weeks ago, at the same time and feeling completely alone — not another car in sight.

The COVID-19 Lockdown still doesn’t feel real. My mind drifts to a conversation I had earlier today with a volunteer who was managing the foodbank database and she said that we had given out over 9,000 food boxes since Lockdown began. Later, scarcely believing the number, I told another person and I flinched when they congratulated me. I am confused. It doesn’t feel right. I am certainly uncomfortable with accolades!

In Lockdown the days blurred as the team worked all hours packing boxes, answering emails and phone messages, setting up Excel sheets and rosters, posting on social media.

A mother rang to tell me she had stayed up really late sharing our 0800 Food Bank number with everyone on her Facebook. The phones didn’t stop ringing with people asking for food and comfort. The incoming Facebook and email notifications beeped on our phones day and night.

On the second day of Lockdown we were told to close the foodbank and go home as it wasn’t safe to operate as we were. I spent a wakeful and restless night not helped by the texts from our young people wanting to know if Vinnies was doing anything to help others through the Lockdown.

We’d hoped all our preparations would have been enough, but we hadn’t realised the hugely significant changes that kept coming to make our work possible. We reached out to skilled young adults who started operating triage from their home offices and redirected the phone lines to our mobile phones. Young adults started turning up in their vehicles to deliver the hundreds of parcels. Pallets of food arrived from KiwiHarvest, the Auckland City Mission and the Civil Defense Emergency Management Team. We received funding from the Catholic Caring Foundation and from so many generous individual donors.

The Vincentians contacted us to offer supplies from their own food banks, the use of their vehicles and letting us know we had their blessing. I felt anxious at times when the food was going out so quickly that I thought we would run out. But then the money started coming in. It seemed that just when we finished one food stock another pallet or donation arrived.

We are giving 120 parcels a day to families. In normal times we averaged between 50-120 per week. The number steadily increased and more volunteers came on board. Then the day came when we hit 9,000 food parcels — it represented the hunger in our city and the 9,000 times families had been fed.

Delphina Soti, General Manager, Vinnies Auckland

In Comforting Comes Comfort

Lockdown was hard for me. I live alone and I was feeling more and more isolated. Then, I was called by a good friend from Vinnies and asked if I would be part of the Vinnies’ Face-to-Face team calling vulnerable and isolated, elderly whānau. It was the beginning of something beautiful. I was blessed because in supporting others I supported myself — also one of the vulnerable, isolated, older members of society.

I quickly found out how essential this service was to the clients I called. Their immediate response was joy and relief that somebody cared enough to call. Many had essential needs and the Vinnies' triage team was able to attend to them.

Now that we are at Level 1 I don’t continue calling but I have left them with the ability to reach out directly to Vinnies if they have a need. My favourite story is when I called an old man. His instant response was: “I was so hoping it would be a male caller because I am surrounded by female voices.” As I was the only male on the team, he’d struck it lucky! And yes, this man has become a lifelong friend. I have been blessed.

A B Moana, Face to Face Programme Volunteer

In Giving We Receive

With Lockdown my work as a house painter stopped. My wife and I have four children. My young adult daughters were Young Vinnies volunteering as essential workers. They kept appearing in the car with loads of food boxes and lists of families to deliver them to.

The first time I went delivering with my daughters, I was touched when I saw the families — suffering and scared. I felt something strong move inside of me. I wanted to help more. I knew they were looking for people to offer their homes to be Vinnies satellite foodbanks to deliver in the local areas so I went home and painted and renovated our garage to become a foodbank. The Vinnies staff gave me all the PPE gear, briefed me and stocked up our foodbank and we started taking vanloads to families in Central and South Auckland.

One day a staff member said the Auckland City Mission was urgently looking for men to help supervise and support the men at a new hostel for homeless men in the city. It was hard work, sometimes dangerous and they were struggling to find people — would I consider applying? I was unsure because I didn’t feel qualified but in my heart I wanted to do it. I went with courage and I was offered a job. I still work there, now, and I love my job. I love the men there — they are God’s children. I still operate a Vinnies satellite foodbank and my family is so blessed.

Te’omatavu’i Fili, Satellite Foodbank Coordinator

Importance of Visiting

I finally get it! I never really understood why the Vincentians made a point of visiting people’s homes.

So I got a list and then I discovered that three lots of boxes were going to one small house and there were three different mobile numbers. I instantly felt annoyed that someone was taking us for a ride.

I rang the first number and the elderly lady in the house explained that she and her three mokopuna (grandchildren) were one bubble in the house. A second bubble family of four with a baby was in the garage and a third bubble, a couple, lived in the shed. I let them know the food was outside. As I climbed back into my car I saw them emerge from their different abodes. I drove away feeling … let’s just say that experience and life lesson will stay with me for life.

(The family was contacted by social workers and moved to more suitable accommodation.)

Reuben Su'a, Vinnies Youth Mobiliser

So Many Hungry

Today two Vinnies food trucks and a car went into a large caravan park to deliver boxes of fresh produce, meat, milk, cereal, yoghurt, etc. to individuals and families in the hundreds of flats, units and caravans. Many didn’t have transport, wifi or credit or they felt too overwhelmed by shame to ring a 0800 Helpline.

Our vehicles moved slowly on two different routes and stopped intermittently as team members on the back worked hard with the park management to unload and distribute parcels. It was getting dark and more people lined the road, some pushing up to the truck with outstretched hands asking for a box. It was heartbreaking as many were elderly and some people seemed unwell.

We weren't allowed to hand the boxes over for safety reasons but they were determined for fear of missing out. I became conscious that several people had touched my arms and were really close to my face. Others wanted to shake hands or pat me on the back with gratitude.

We ended up having to run and carry the boxes to many houses as the occupants were too old or frail and we could keep the safe distance. It was a major workout and we were puffing hard and our faces were dripping with sweat trying to keep up with it all.

I came away feeling sad and wanting to cry, confused, angry and affected by what I had just seen and experienced. I was also fired up and full of empathy, compassion and hope for the people and for my team members.

Miliama Setefano, Visual Media Editor

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 250 July 2020: 12-13