by Dorothy Preece

Every Friday around 20 people turn up for a hot lunch and a listening ear at St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Te Puke. It's part of the Food and Fellowship programme they've been running for nearly a year.

Programme co-ordinator Nan Watson thought about the idea for years.

"God planted the seeds but they took time to germinate," she says. "I was inspired by similar missions in other Churches."

"When I mentioned the idea at a session meeting, our minister, Derrick Hills said, 'Just do it.'"

And so she did. Nan announced her plans in church and put up the posters.

"The idea caught people's imagination," Nan says. "The offers of help and support from the congregation were astonishing."

From that session meeting one year ago, Nan Watson now has six regular Friday helpers and many others who provide food, do the dishes and put away tables,

"One woman is our budget shopper. If cauliflowers are cheap, she will freeze them and produce trays full of cauliflower cheese. If chickens are on special, she makes bulk chicken pie, all out of her own pocket. This is her mission."

But the mission proved to be different from what Nan first imagined.

"I thought of reaching out to people who needed a square meal, those on low budgets and so on, but in fact our customers are mostly elderly people who like company".

"When we do see people in need of a good feed, they are often very uncomfortable about accepting it."

Nan is convinced the hungry are out there, but says they need a more anonymous approach.
Meanwhile, she believes God has shown her that other need. Although most Food and Fellowship recipients are on a low income, it's the company, not the food, which attracts.

"We have volunteers who just sit and talk, and aim to be good listeners".