Thank You to
 
Gary Cockram Motors...

 “Getting the show back on the road” These are the words written on the side of the Hyundai van, kindly loaned to the Christchurch City Mission by Dougal Cockram, of Gary Cockram Motors.

Gray Crawford, manager of social services at the City Mission feels that the words are very appropriate as without the help of this van it would not have been possible for the City Mission’s foodbank to become operational as quickly as it did after the February earthquake.

 

Photo: Gray Crawford - Social Services Manager, Mary Wood - Foodbank Coordinator
and Dougal Cockram of Gary Cockram Motors.

Immediately after our devastating earthquake in February, and seemingly never ending aftershocks, City Mission staff were unable to return to their buildings in Hereford Street as these buildings were in the cordoned off central city area. The Mission however set up 2 temporary food banks in church halls, one at St Matthews in Bryndwr and one at St Chad’s in Linwood. These food banks were extremely busy. For example in the 10 day period, Wednesday, 2 March 2011 to Friday, 11 March, the Christchurch City Mission gave out over 300 hot meals to people without electricity to cook, saw 1,094 people for social work support/assistance and gave out 3,387 food parcels.

When the City Mission was finally able to return to our city buildings early March, we found that the electricity had been turned off for over a week and we therefore had to throw away a huge amount of frozen food that had thawed in our freezers.

Members of the public and business from throughout Christchurch and New Zealand have however been wonderful in donating replacement food and through their generosity we have been able to now replenish our food stocks. While we are currently seeing up to 20 people a day at the Mission for food parcels we are still finding that the more marginalized clients are still very reluctant to come into the city to get food  and therefore the City Mission is now going out into the more earthquake affected suburbs of Christchurch in a campervan providing social work support, food and water. Last week the Mission assisted 80 people in this way.

This would all not have been possible without the Hyundai van supplied by Dougal Cockram. This van has been working 7 days a week collecting food and other donations from businesses around the city which we have then been able to past to the Christchurch community.

I anticipate that this demand on Mission services will only become more intense as time progresses as people, who never thought they would ever become a City Mission client but who have now lost their homes and jobs due to the earthquake, will come to the City Mission seeking support, assistance and advocacy.

So thank you again Dougal for supporting the Christchurch City Mission’s work in such a fantastic way. Through your kindness, we will be able to make a real difference in peoples’ lives at this tough time.