Te Puna Manawa, A Place of Kai and Connection

St David’s Church in Naenae has drawn on a number of community organisations to continue to support vulnerable members in their neighbourhood. The church opened “Te Puna Manawa”, a community drop-in centre, in August 2019. It is a community centre designed as a “space of peace”, according to Tim Dunwoodie, one of the organisers. Normally, Te Puna Manawa is open five days a week with space to sit and chat, soup and bread, and pool and table tennis equipment. But having an open space was not possible under lockdown.

“After we got locked down, we started distributing food,” Tim Dunwoodle said. A local organization called “the Remakery” has been giving Te Puna Manawa free frozen meals to give to those who need it. As this was designated an essential service, they were able to operate through the lockdown. “It surprised me how many new people came,” Tim said. “I haven’t done the numbers, but roughly half of [the people coming] we met during lockdown.”

As of last week, Te Puna Manawa has given out about 400 meals. Te Puna Manawa “is a place where people can come, linking with other parts of the community,” Tim said. As well as connecting with the Remakery, local op-shops give donations ― and members of the community sometimes donate teabags, food, or cash. “In non-Covid-times, Kaibosh give us food, as well as the local Sikh temple,” Tim said. At a recent visit to emergency housing, some of the people there had been given free fruit and vegetables―more than they could eat―so they shared some of the produce for Te Puna Manawa to distribute.

Te Puna Manawa is entirely staffed by volunteers, most of whom are members of the church. While volunteers usually provide the food at the community centre, the Remakery was better set up to prepare packages in a way consistent with distancing guidelines.

As well as providing food assistance, establishing a personal connection with people in need is very important to Tim. As well as calling and texting people, he's started a Facebook page ― despite being “Facebook-phobic”. Volunteers have been spending time calling people associated with Te Puna Manawa, providing a listening ear to those who need it. Now the team are starting to imagine what Level Two will look like for their space. Tim is keen to continue having Te Puna Manawa as a place of connection, rather than simply providing food. “Our niche market is relationship... we show [people] love, and that’s the reputation we’ve got.”

By Shanti Mathias