“Every client that comes through our doors picks up your packets of mince.” It’s a simple observation from Lara Dolan, CEO of Mangere Budgeting Services, but it speaks volumes about the reality of food insecurity facing thousands of Kiwi families today.
For many households, fresh protein has become a luxury rather than a staple.
At Mangere Budgeting Services in South Auckland, demand for food support has more than doubled in just two years. Since transitioning from a traditional foodbank to a Social Supermarket in 2024, the organisation has recorded a staggering 100.7% increase in demand for food support, while requests for financial mentoring have also surged.
The people walking through the doors aren’t always who you’d expect.
“More and more of our clients are employed,” says Lara. “When I started in 2022, most of our clients were receiving a benefit. Now we’re seeing more and more of what we call the ‘working poor’ – families who are doing everything right but simply can’t keep up with the cost of living.”
Families are making impossible decisions every day.
“Do I pay the rent? Do I pay the power bill? Or do I put food on the table?”
It’s a choice no one should have to make.
The rising cost of everyday essentials means nutritious food, particularly fresh protein, is often one of the first things to disappear from the shopping trolley.
“Beef is unaffordable,” Lara says. “Without Meet the Need, we simply wouldn’t be able to provide mince consistently. Every client that comes through our doors picks up the packets of mince.”
For many families, that mince becomes much more than just dinner.
Rosanna Nicholson knows this firsthand.
Today, she’s the Social Supermarket Team Leader at Mangere Budgeting Services, greeting every person who walks through the doors with warmth and understanding.
But just two years ago, she was one of the people seeking help herself.
After returning home to New Zealand from Australia and experiencing her own challenges, Rosanna was referred to the Social Supermarket as a shopper. Through the support she received, she rebuilt her confidence, joined the team and now helps others navigate some of the hardest moments of their lives.
That lived experience shapes every interaction.
“I think half the battle is just getting through the door,” she says. “There’s still a stigma around asking for food support. I just try to welcome people like another human being.”
She understands the courage it takes to ask for help.
“I share my story because it gives people hope.”
Every day she hears stories that stay with her.
One mum, who visits the Social Supermarket regularly, uses the donated mince to make spaghetti bolognese for her children. Any leftovers become breakfast on toast the next morning, stretched with vegetables so the meal lasts another day.
“It’s their favourite meal,” Rosanna says. “She tells me every week they’re having spaghetti bolognese on Friday, then mince on toast together on Saturday morning.”
It’s a simple meal.
But it’s also two days of nutritious food, and time spent together around the table.
Another older client treasures the milk powder she receives through the Social Supermarket. When fresh milk runs out, she can still invite her neighbour in for a cup of tea.
“It’s the simple things,” Rosanna says. “It means she can still be hospitable and keep that connection.”
These stories are why Meet the Need exists.
Every donation of livestock, milk, virtual meals or financial support helps ensure foodbanks and Social Supermarkets across New Zealand can offer families nutritious food with dignity and choice.
Because food support isn’t just about filling empty cupboards.
It’s about giving parents the chance to cook a family favourite.
It’s about helping neighbours stay connected.
It’s about reducing the impossible choices families are forced to make.
And it’s about reminding people that they don’t have to face hardship alone.
As demand continues to rise, organisations like Mangere Budgeting Services rely on partnerships with charities like Meet the Need to keep nutritious food on their shelves.
“Without partners like Meet the Need,” Lara says, “I don’t know what we’d do.”
Together, thanks to the generosity of New Zealand farmers, businesses and everyday donors, we’re helping ensure more families have access to nourishing meals, and a little more hope, when they need it most.
For Media Enquiries please contact Meet the Need,
