The community arm of local Auckland church, LIFE, is opening two new Soup Kitchens to help reach more people. LIFE Soup Kitchen, Manurewa, at the beautiful Manurewa Marae, 81 Finlayson Avenue, Clendon Park, opens Tuesday, 28 July with Mt Roskill’s LIFE Soup Kitchen at 740 Sandringham Road, Mt Roskill to follow on Thursday, 20 August. Both will operate from 6-7pm.

LIFE Soup Kitchen, Manurewa, has been set up in partnership with Manurewa Marae and is supported by the local Pride Project. The two new locations will host up to 150 people each, with the Manurewa location able to extend to 250 if need be.

The LIFE Soup Kitchen mandate is to bring help and hope to the community through a hot, nutritious meal in a whanau environment.

Nia Manukia, LIFE’s Soup Kitchen Manager, advises, “We are super-excited that we are able to open another two locations. Yes, there is a need, a need for the community to come together, work together and we love how kai facilitates strong connection. Together, we can bring help and hope to everyone around us!”

Through a valued relationship, the LIFE Soup Kitchen will operate from the Manurewa Marae and the CEO, Natasha Kemp, adds this: “Mauri Ora ki te Manurewatanga - It's all about how we can manaaki our whānau, our hapori of Manurewa and through our partnership with LIFE Soup Kitchen we are able to give back. Ko au te Marae, Ko te Marae ki au. I am the Marae; the Marae is me.”

The additional Soup Kitchens bring the total to seven operating across Auckland throughout the week, all resourced with teams from the local community and LIFE.

To support LIFE Soup Kitchen or for information on volunteering, visit lifecommunity.org.nz.

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