He Puāwai Trust

05/10/2026

Be careful growers!

Nationwide, 135 of 152 people with Legionnaires’ disease were hospitalised.

30/09/2026

So many little carrot, parsnip thinnings and gorgeous beets arrived from our farm project this week.
So we scrubbed them, made roast vege salads, bottled our beetroot and made a huge savoury mince (one third mince, one third vege and one third lentil ) to feed the whānau .
Good simple nutrious kai. Each meal cost $2.30 - going to where they are needed the most.

15/09/2026

So good today to have Twiggy and Liz from the Te Whatu Ora Kia Ora He Whare Taonga programme that supports healthy housing needs. Sharing concerns for our kaumātua in particular as they struggle with access to kai in the face of increasing costs. How can we support our elders and vulnerable with nourishing meals and ensure their voices are heard?
One way is to vote. Vote for our elders and their right to access warm healthy housing and good kai. Vote for us all to eat with equity and dignity.
Vote because lives literally depend on us all using our voices.

It was a joy to send some meals out today grown and produced with aroha. Lets do more!

10/09/2026

Sometimes we meet whānau with weekly food budgets as low as $30 per week. Whānau with two jobs but huge rent and electricity costs. Whānau living on rice, noodles and foodbanks.

We cooked for our whānau this week using a budget of $3 per meal. It was achieved only because we grow so much kai and can access koha eggs.
Here's our recipes from this week for "meatloaf " without meat and a super yum Smashed Pea topping. We used tons of beetroot, herbs, silverbeet and carrots from the māra. Loaded with life and health.

Please PLEASE make sure you vote for a food system this year that ensures everyone gets access to good quality kai.

02/09/2026

Its always great to be working with the whānau of Kokiri Marae Pātaka Kai. We are pushing out our koha seedlings for foodbanks in larger numbers now that Spring is here.
We welcome anyone wanting to learn and come help get our Hutt Valley whānau fed. Come join us! Wednesdays 9am till 2.

31/08/2026

A beautiful early Spring harvest at the farm today, ready to turn into meals to feed the whānau tomorrow.

Bumper crops of beetroot, collard greens and gorgeous cabbages will become vege burgers and coleslaw - plus loads of aroha and nutrition for our hungry whānau that need community support.

25/08/2026

Where does our kai come from that we turn into meals for our community?

From this beautiful māra kai (see below) in Paetūmokai (Featherston) that is part of a historic farm we have been fortunate enough to be gifted the use of.
With 600 sqm of veges, an orchard and soon to add chickens and cows, it is enough to provide to three community kitchens in Lower Hutt and another in Paetūmokai - all of which is our goal over the next few months.

Our farm project connects rural to town and creates our own regional approach to kai resilience- lessening our dependency on supermarkets and bringing huge opportunities for education and employment.

If youd like to follow what's happening in our farm project and resilience mahi in Paetūmokai, you can follow along her: Paetūmokai Kai Tahi we would love to have you to visit!

18/08/2026

Must be pretty miserable living on the streets or in a vehicle in this terrible weather.

So it is a joy to be making beautiful kai, using our locally grown produce to feed our unhomed whānau in the Hutt Valley today - alongside the kaimahi of Takari Mai Homelessness Prevention team.

Our meals go to whānau living in their vehicles, on the street/ in tents as well as to support those who Takiri have homed and now support with wrap around services to help them get on their feet.

Ngā mihi to all who support our kaupapa and help us provide aroha to our vulnerable whānau. Together we are warmer.

12/08/2026

❤️

Mihi nui ki a He Puāwai Trust for the amazing gift of seeds! 🌿✨

We truly appreciate the resources and expertise you bring to our Pātaka Māra.

These seeds will be sown to grow fresh kai for our whānau in our upcoming spring and summer māra. Together, we’re planting the seeds for real community resilience and abundance! 🌱💚

07/05/2026

Here's a really simple idea to increase your whānau resilience and plan ahead for emergencies. Check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Gh4dcsCsd/