P&K: Veterans on “The Live Edge”

Architects call the Eastern or Square side of the P&K building its “Live Edge” as its windows face into the open square “where stuff is going on” and the morning sun shines into the relocated fashion store and new cafe.

David Kershaw explains that “my old man used to say it’s such a warm spot that a lot of the Second World War vets – the old guys that also did all the heavy (local) fencing work _ the guys who lugged all the concrete posts to the top of hills putting fencing up – all their hips gave out.”

“They were in pain all the time,” so in the early mornings “they would shuffle into town and sit on our window sill all along (the eastern wall) waiting for the sun to warm them up.”

“That was the only thing that would get rid of the pain. If there had been hip operations (in the day) … they’d have all been fixed.”

Family Food Box

Several weekly “Food Box” options offered to clients come with all the ingredients, down to the printed recipe, spices and cooking instructions, priced from $5.00 (e.g. potato chick pea curry) to $10.00 (pineapple chicken casserole).

“We try to provide nutritious and really tasty meals on a budget. They’re popular with the people,” said May Croft.

“What was really lovely is that two people sent me photographs of the Big Pork Sausage Roll coming out of the oven,” May said. 

“That is really rewarding, that someone has made it and are so pleased with themselves that they’ve sent you a photo. That $10.00 would have fed six people.”

“The Social Crust” helps hundreds each week

Anne Firmin and John Gellatly, two of the dozen weekly volunteers at The Social Crust, load some of the 59 Food Boxes for afternoon pick-up by clients.

Martinborough’s Food Bank, recently renamed “The Social Crust,” currently every week is feeding a surprising 250 people _ women, men, children _ despatching 59 boxes of food and other essential family supplies into the community.

Each Wednesday, a dozen volunteers from Martinborough and Greytown work to fill the boxes of food and essentials “orders” that have come in from the needy. These range from families of six to single pensioners living alone in rural accommodation without even a phone as support.

Under the “supermarket” system the group operates, those in need choose their weekly food and supplies allocation from a detailed product list of more than 150 items, up to a maximum of 75 “food bank dollars” for 5 – 6 people – enough for a family for four days.

As for the the dollar value of the food boxes “it’s a fair bit of dosh. It will cost us $100,000 a year to run it,” said “Social Crust” head May Croft.

 The list of goods in the bank is extensive, with a full range of foods plus, for no “food bank dollar” cost, breads and a bag of fresh fruit and vegetables. “It’s not an option whether you get fruit and veges,” May Croft adds.

The first Martinborough food bank distribution began in November 2019, “just before Covid.”

The change since “has been huge. We started it on the back deck (of the family home)  then from a cupboard at St Andrew’s Church and then we partnered with the Masonic Lodge for three years.”

Last month the group relocated to a warehouse at 45 Elizabeth Street and is looking to further expand its activities.  

“Now Greytown have come alongside us. We manage it (thee food bank) and they supply volunteers,” she said.  … Continue Reading

Real economic “squeeze” impacts on lower paid, sick

Real people in real need coming for help to The Social Crust exposes for everyone to see that there is a significant “hole” in the social safety net that this society believes already catches the needy.

May and Peter Croft insist there are structural issues within the society which mean that until the government and people sort them out, the food bank is an interim back-up for the people who in most cases work and just don’t get enough financial reward. 

“That’s a combination of short hours … of 30 hours a week or whatever … they just don’t have enough money after they’ve paid the rent, run the car _ and food becomes kind of an optional thing,” Peter Croft said.

“The other problem (contributing to food need) is people who become sick. 

“Have an accident and break your leg, our system is very good, ACC – 80 percent of your wages gets paid. 

“(But) if you get cancer, you get sickness benefit _ your income may be a half or a quarter, but you’ve still got a house with a mortgage,” he noted.

“So what do you do? According to the system you’ve got to sell your house and become poor.

“So we step in and say no, we’ll help you to the extent we can for as long as you need it and get your job back.

“We help people through a year or 18 months till they’ve got their job back and they no longer need support from the Food Bank,” he said

The couple said that Martinborough responds well to some of the desperate need which is emerging.

“It is an incredibly generous community, just incredibly generous, said May Croft. “ And now that Greytown has come on board, it looks like their community is just as generous.”

Peter Croft said community generosity means “no-one in New Zealand is going to starve, they’re not going to die of hunger. 

“But because they lack the money to buy decent food on a regular basis, they’re eating rubbish, and their dignity goes out the window because they can’t afford anything else.” … Continue Reading