Supporting Franklin families

Helping families across Franklin is a passionate team of volunteers cooking and delivering meals.

Bellyful Franklin provides up to three nights of meals to families with babies or children under 12 who are facing challenges such as illness, bereavement, stress, isolation, pregnancy, miscarriage, or baby loss – regardless of financial situation.

“We help families without a support network. Our meals are generously cooked and delivered by volunteers,” explained branch co-ordinator Arna Bryant.

Bellyful Franklin covers a wide area, including up the Awhitu Peninsula and down to Pokeno. No Bellyful branch covers South Auckland as the demand there is too high, she said.

Referrals are made via the website www.bellyful.org.nz. The branch is regularly supported by more than 10 Franklin businesses.

Cookathon co-ordinator Rebecca Midgley marshals a team of volunteers to cook about 260 meals each month in the commercial kitchen of Pukekohe Indian Association Events Centre.

“Having access to a kitchen like this is amazing. We use 30kgs of beef mince per cook for our bolognese and lasagne, so having large-scale equipment makes a huge difference.

“We cook four different meals, using set recipes and ingredients: spaghetti bolognese, lasagne, mac’n cheese, and a mild vegetarian curry.”

Some regions make a soup instead of a curry, depending on their demographic, Midgley said.

“We put a lot of love and thought into the meals; we want them to be tasty for our families.”

Bellyful Franklin currently has more than 20 volunteers and is always open to adding more across a range of roles: cooking, delivering meals, and even running the social media pages.

“There’s always a job to be found,” Midgley said.

She recently marked her fifth anniversary of being with Bellyful Franklin, having joined after being made redundant and wanting to give back while also getting out of the house.

“At the end of each cook, it’s always a rewarding feeling. We’re hot and tired, but happy.”

• Bellyful Franklin is doing a “Spaghetti September” drive. Donations of dried spaghetti pasta can be dropped off at Pukekohe Library, Waiuku Library, Unichem Tuakau Pharmacy, and Vintage Cafe in Waiau Pa. Large donations from businesses or groups can be collected by volunteers, please email franklincc@bellyful.org.nz to arrange pick up.