Food parcels to the rescue
Deliveries mean ‘everything’ to those students struggling to pay rent and other bills
Free food parcels are helping cash-strapped Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) students stay afloat as high living costs bite.
However, more was needed for those in need, both givers and receivers said.
Food rescue charity Kiwi Harvest had donated nearly 200 food deliveries to SIT students, totalling 18,408kg, since August 2022.
SIT student support team leader Jodi Conway said the Kiwi Harvest food was gone within 30 minutes of being delivered to campus.
Two lots of food had been delivered to the SIT in the past five weeks, a drop-off in volume from the last couple of years.
The free food meant “everything” to those students struggling to pay rent and other essential living costs.
“They are almost in tears, it’s pretty dire and they are trying to stay in their courses. The struggle is definitely real.”
The food delivered included milk, bread and fresh fruit and vegetables – the types of food that went by the wayside for students as they struggled with other costs, she said.
“Even though we are zero fees, the cost of living is impacting everybody.”
Mature students were among those accepting the food.
The SIT operations lead Daryl Haggerty said the rising living costs, including for food, had impacted on its students the same way it had impacted on the whole community.
XO Church also provided free lunches for SIT students once a fortnight, and the institute was now offering budgeting workshops to its students through the Jubilee Budget Advisory Service.
Carpentry student Marcus Hirst, who had just started his course, said the food was appreciated because the student allowance was low and the costs of living were high.
Jennifer Stephens, the Kiwi Harvest relationship manager who oversaw the Invercargill branch, said it was well aware of the increased need students had in Southland and it was unable to keep up with demand.
It was difficult for full-time students to fund living costs when they could only fit in part-time work hours, she said.