Residents of the Crest Apartment building in Great North Road ,Grey Lynn have set up a food collection station to help an under-privileged community in South Auckland, and after one week of operation the organisers are delighted with the response.
Tea Ropati, a founder member of the Warriors and a former resident of Crest is driving the food collection project for the area in which he grew up – the Panama Road community on the border of Otahuhu and Mount Wellington.
“We are reaching out to others to support us as we try to find innovative ways to ameliorate stress in the lives of vulnerable whanau. The items collected will go towards a new weekly swap market at the local community centre. I hope more apartment buildings will join our project.”
“I was overwhelmed when I arrived at Crest for the first collection and found I couldn’t even lift up the collection bin! This will be a big help to people on fixed and low incomes, who are the hardest hit victims of inflation.”
Tony Waring, chair of the Crest body corporate, hopes his neighbours can sustain the level of donation. “We have asked people to remember this cause when they are out shopping and buy a couple of extra items to put in the collection bins.
Personally, I have found it to be an easy and gratifying habit to get into, and with Tea giving us regular feedback we will all be encouraged to keep giving.”
The Panama Riverside Community is on the border of Otahuhu and Mt Wellington. The local primary school is decile 1 and mainly Maori and Pacific.
With a population of approximately 2900, over 50% are Pasifika, European: 21.1% Asian: 20.8% Maori: 19.6%. 51.3% are under 30 years of age. A large proportion of the houses are owned by Housing NZ /Kāinga Ora.
https://www.panamariversidefriendssociety.org/
Pictured: Tea Ropati (left) and Tony Waring celebrate a bountiful harvest from the residents of Crest Apartments – destined to help an under-privileged community in south Auckland.
Photography: Max Lloyd
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Published: October 2023