ABOUT US
St Anthony Parish Fit for Mission – Food Bank pastoral plans are to responds to emergencies around the world, including in Aotearoa New Zealand. In response to emergencies within Aotearoa, St Therese Parish provide a food bank collection and storage facility (drop off / pick up) for donated food parcels. Volunteers from the St Anthony’s Family Support Service Trust pick up and distribute to nationwide families seeking the Trusts support.
We are not the riches people. It is not the amount that we will be sending, but it is a gesture of our empathy with our brothers and sisters who are in need of our help.
Our aim is to bring transparency to go forth with Gods ministry to save lives, reduce suffering, uphold human dignity, and meet people’s basic needs – regardless of ethnicity, religion or nationality.
St Anthony’s Family Support Services Trust was registered on 17th May 1993 at the Charities Services, Ngā Rātonga Kaupapa Atawhai part of the Department of Internal Affairs, and administers the Charities Act 2005: CLICK HERE
St Anthony’s Family Support Services Trust was established by local parishioners, volunteers Catholics and Non-Catholics from other faiths who had a passion to collect food and distribute to their local community. After 18 years and still going strong St Therese Parish and St Anthony Family Support Services Trust aims to make a difference in the lives of people living with poverty or injustice through local community development, advocacy, education, and emergency relief.
FOOD BANK DROP OFF LOCATION:
St Anthony Parish Office, 20 Kirkbride Road, Mangere Bridge, Auckland, New Zealand.
HISTORY
St Anthony’s Parish has been established 50 years and during that time of service to the community they have been providing food parcels to feed the poor. It wasn’t until in the early 1990s where the media caught our eye and labelled us as the “Parish Vegetable Garden” project that provided fresh produce food and employment to the community.
In 1992, 17th May 1993, a group of Parishioners and Non-Parishioners set up St Anthony’s Family Support Services Trust. They approached St Anthony’s Parish Priest who was very supportive of starting up a Food Bank and possible projects for the parishioners and surrounding community. The PPC (Parish Pastoral Council) offered themselves as the Food Bank Storage Base with the use of the old office set in the back of the church for usage as well as the small Hall when required. Later on the Trust approached St Therese Parish at Mangere East for their support, where a traditional blessing of the food parcels at Sunday Mass continue to this day.
OUR FOOD BANK SERVICES:
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Church Blessing – Food Parcel Blessings at Sunday Mass Services
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Church Food Bank Facility – Food Bank Storage / Drop Off & Pick Up Area
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Church Announcements – Weekly Food Bank Parcels Collections & Distributions
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Church Bulletins – Weekly Food Bank Parcel Collections & Distributions Updates
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Website Page – Weekly Food Parcel Collections & Distribution Bulletin Updates
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Website Page – Business Networks Is Our “Thank You Page” for Businesess That Donate Food Parcels
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Radio Advertising – Fundraiser Events / Food Bank
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Social Media – Weekly Food Bank Parcel Updates / Business Networks / Trust Services / Other
Pope Benedict XVI awarded the Benemerenti Medal for these services to the less fortunate in South Auckland.
