Members of the club went to what singer Johnny Cash famously called “hungry side of town” for their breakfast and a reality check this week
John Bishop reports.
It’s a line from his song, “The Man in Black” in which he explains why he always wears black clothing, “I wear the black for the poor and beaten down living on the hopeless, hungry side of town.”City Missioner Murry Edridge welcomed a small group of members and noted that while we were all facing difficulties in the current world, these were not felt equally. “The people who come here face hard choices between paying the rent or buying food.”
The City Mission’s approach was to treat people with dignity and respect and without judging them. This was exemplified in the social supermarket run by the City Mission where people were allocated points according to need and spent those points on whatever they wanted from the shelves.
Club members looked though the supermarket which had over 3 000 items ranging from basic to luxury goods.
Murray also talked about the City Mission’s $40 million new building called Whakamaru (meaning shelter) which will open in 2024. It will have 35 residential apartments, a 120 seater café, meeting rooms and other facilities for guests, staff and volunteers. “Having everyone in together will enable people to connect differently,” Murray said, “which will improve relationships and outcomes.”