We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who have supported our Pataka Oranga (Food Bank) this year! Me mahi tahi tātou mo te oranga o te katoa.
A massive thank you to Kiwi Harvest, the Southern District Health Board, Runanga and Kaumatua for their amazing contributions throughout the year. We are so grateful!
Pataka Oranga is the NKMP internal foodbank run by our Whanau Ora team. Kai parcels are provided to whanau in need. When the COVID-19 lockdown occurred on 18 August 2021, the demand for kai increased significantly and during that time Pataka supported 825 individual whanau members through 272 food/hygiene parcels.
We are so privileged to have received some amazing donations. This week, the Southern District Health Board donated toothbrushes and paste, which included brushes for pepi and Tamariki.
Kristy Tamariki, of the Community Oral Health Service, said prior to COVID-19, the Service in Southland had 16 tooth brushing programmes running in schools/Kohanga Reo and Early Childhood Centres in Southland. Although the programme was designed so cross contamination could not happen, after the latest lockdown a lot of the schools and centres were a bit apprehensive in starting back with the programme. “Therefore, we want to try and ensure that people have access to toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste at home. These can often be expensive and hard for families to provide a toothbrush for all children in the whanau.”
Once again, thank you to everyone for your support throughout 2021. Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi.
