The Local KaroriDemand for the Karori Foodbank has nearly doubled over the past 18 months, driven by a changing demographic that now includes unemployed professionals, recent graduates, and the elderly. Indy Radcar reports.
“I haven’t done this before,” the caller says. “But I need food.”
For volunteers at the Karori Foodbank, those words have become increasingly familiar. The community-run service, which supports residents in Karori, Northland, and Wilton, is seeing a sharp rise in demand – but just as startling is who is seeking help.
Last year, the foodbank distributed 248 household food parcels, up from 137 the previous year – an increase of 81 per cent. The trend has intensified in 2026, with parcel distribution in the first five months of this year already 44 per cent higher than for the same period last year.
Many of the new cases are people seeking help for the first time.
“You can hear the hesitation in their voice,” says volunteer Jan Galloway. “No one's coming because they want to. Many are embarrassed.”
People reveal little about their circumstances – most collect their parcel and quietly leave. Yet over time, a picture has emerged. Poverty in Karori is no longer confined to isolated pockets of the community, but is increasingly affecting people who, until recently, would have been financially secure. The trend mirrors wider economic pressures across the capital, where public sector job losses, a sluggish labour market, and persistently high grocery prices have left many households vulnerable.
“We’re seeing a lot of families where the breadwinner has been made redundant,” says board chair Rose Marsh. “We have one client who has been looking for work for more than a year and just can’t find anything. She has two teenage sons at home, and teenagers eat a lot.”
Other groups seeking help include recent graduates who can’t find any kind of job, and middle-aged couples who have taken in elderly parents and are struggling to absorb the additional expense.
For some, it takes only a single setback to tip an already stretched household budget into the red. One elderly couple relies on the service during school holidays when their grandchildren stay with them. Another client sought help after his car broke down, forcing him to choose between repairing the vehicle and buying groceries.
Clients’ reactions to the parcels often provide another glimpse into the realities of hardship – a reminder that poverty is measured not only by empty cupboards, but by the small comforts that disappear from everyday life.
“A lot of them are overwhelmed when they see what’s been provided,” Jan says. “One man nearly cried. He looked in the parcel and said, ‘Oh, I haven’t had cheese in ages.’”
Even so, some packers need to be reined in, as many are tempted to slip in an extra treat for the children. The foodbank has to be disciplined to ensure there is enough for everyone; last month the shelves in the stockroom almost ran bare.
As the interview draws to a close, Jan notices a lone jar of hazelnut spread sitting on a shelf. Her face lights up. “That will make a lovely surprise for a family,” she says.
The Karori Foodbank explains what you can do to help feed locals
Donate to our bank account 02 0500 0677261 00, or click on the QR code. Email the treasurer at lucefromnz@gmail.com to request a donation receipt. Volunteer your time as a packer. You can connect with us on our Facebook page to do this (https://www.facebook.com/KaroriFoodbank)).
Donate non-perishable items to the Karori Community Centre or at your local church. We appreciate the following list of non-perishable items: canned items (baked beans, spaghetti, soups, tomatoes and other veges, fruit, fish), rice and pasta, biscuits and crackers, spreads such as peanut butter, jam, honey and vegemite/marmite, instant coffee and tea, laundry powder, dishwashing liquid, body soap bars and toothpaste. We also love getting brown paper bags as we use these to pack our parcels into.
OTHER STORIES
... loading ...
