Our local Community Kitchen is here!
February 1st will mark the opening of a new Community Kitchen in Westport.
The Westport Flood Recovery team, in collaboration with Number 37 Community House successfully applied for funding from DIA/Lottery’s $50k and Mayoral Relief Fund $7k to establish a Community Kitchen in Westport. The Community Kitchen will provide weekly healthy & hot meal for flood impacted residents.
The funding application was made last year, when 100+ households were still in temporary accommodation. Over half of those impacted were in motel type accommodation and still are. Often with this type of accommodation there is limited access to cooking and dining facilities. Many of those impacted households are still displaced and in temporary accommodation.
The first weekly dinner service will commence at 6pm on Tuesday 1st February at the RSA on Palmerston Street. The meals will be nutritionally balanced and will cater to most dietary requirements.
People are encouraged to come in and share a meal communally, however, to dine in at the RSA you are required to be fully vaccinated. To accommodate those who cannot dine in, there will also be a contactless takeaway and delivery option.
Pre-booking is essential, as the number of meals available is limited to 60 meals per service. To reserve your meal(s) phone 03 789 6000, txt 027 279 0077 or email admin@poti.co.nz.
If you are still dealing with the impacts of the flood in July, you are warmly invited to join us on Tuesday for a meal, and to socialise in the company of others.
The Community Kitchen will be coordinated by Number 37 Community House, who also will rely on volunteers from our wider community to assist with meal preparation and running of the weekly event. Becoming a volunteer is a great way to give back to our wonderful community and be a part of the collective flood recovery effort. There is also a current paid vacancy for a Community Kitchen Cook/Coordinator who will be employed on a fixed term contract for 15 hours per week. If you are interested in being a volunteer or applying for the Kitchen Coordinator role, please email manager@poti.co.nz.
Social connection is key to overcoming adversity. We hope that the Community Kitchen can bring people together to share their experiences, the company and encouragement of others and a home cooked nutritious meal.