How a fortnightly cooking class is helping a group of tāne move from food parcels towards food security:
In the kitchen at Haeata, the Mission’s community dining room, a group of tāne are laughing together as they cook,chopping onions and grating cheese for a lasagne.
Ten months ago, every one of them was coming to the Auckland City Mission - Te Tāpui Atawhai for a food parcel each week.
That's what our Tāne Tū Kaha cooking classes were created to change: a fortnightly cooking session for a small group of men, co-facilitated by Food Security Operations & Engagement Lead Raymond (pictured above) and Community Connector Joe. Together they are learning to turn everyday ingredients into simple, affordable meals: lasagne, mac and cheese, fried bread, roast lamb. The recipes reflect what comes in a food parcel, so every skill learned here can be used at home straight away.
"I wasn't a very confident cook," says Rich*, who has been coming since the first session. "Now I feel like I can put all these ingredients together.”
But the cooking is only part of it.
“Just getting out of the house, having a laugh -it's awesome. It's a happy space. We all feel like whānau. You don't feel afraid if you slip up in the kitchen."
Dave* is already a qualified chef and comes every week for something else:"I come here for a safe, positive space, to get my mind off the world and put my focus back into cooking, which I love. It's a space where you actually feel like you belong. Food brings everyone together - you cook together, laugh together, eat together."
That connection creates space for honest kōrero too - about money, mental health, alcohol and other drugs, housing. Joe uses those conversations to open doors to other supports available through the Mission, and offers practical help with CVs, budgeting, and job searching.
Raymond can see how far the tāne have come: "There have been heaps of milestones with the guys. Now it really feels like a commercial kitchen in there, like a team of chefs."
It was evident when they helped prepare recipes for The Mission Grocer cookbook: "That felt like service. Five dishes in two and a half hours. They pulled it off."
Most importantly, he can see how the need for food parcels has eased. Where the men once needed a parcel every week, most now come fortnightly or less. "They're each making conscious decisions when it comes to their money,"Raymond says. "They're budgeting, thinking about dinner, going and purchasing it, and cooking. That's a win."
The sense of community has grown too .Rich invited his neighbour to one of the sessions."I brought him along to get out of the house, have a bit of fun, take a feed home. And to talk about his problems with all of us. Because we all try to be there for each other."
Now their confidence in the kitchen has grown, the group is taking the lead, choosing the meals and facilitating the sessions themselves. Raymond and Jose will still be there to support.
“When our tāne come to us in moments of food insecurity, we want them to know they are not alone,” Raymond says. “We are here to turn those moments of hardship into pathways where tāne can reclaim their mana, build their capability, and reconnect with a sense of belonging.”
“Because kai is more than food. It's identity. It's pride. It's the ability to provide for yourself and for your whānau. When tāne feel seen, when they know we stand with them, that's when lives begin to shift. That's why Tāne Tū Kaha exists."
*names have been changed to protect privacy