Around 200 meals a week, one domestic oven and a dedicated crew of volunteers making it all happen. With demand growing and Christmas fast approaching, Under the Stars is calling on local businesses to lend a hand. Priority One recently answered that call, swapping the office for the kitchen to help prepare meals for the Tauranga-based charity.

The Priority One team recently spent an afternoon cooking meals for Tauranga charity Under the Stars. As a team activity, we prepared large batches of spaghetti bolognese and meatballs to help stock the charity’s freezer. The meals will be used during its twice-weekly sessions, where anywhere from 80 to more than 130 guests are served at each sitting.

Under the Stars works to increase access to kai and support services for people experiencing homelessness or hardship, providing help in a compassionate, judgement-free environment. From its base at 45 Cliff Road, the charity holds sit-down meals every Thursday at 12pm and Saturday at 5pm, with takeaway meals also available. Guests can access hot showers, towels and toiletries before each meal service. Under the Stars also provides clothing and, through its partners, offers barbers, vet care for pets and, on Thursdays, a free community health clinic.

Its reach goes beyond Cliff Road too. Once a month, Under the Stars holds a bulk cook that produces around 800 freezer meals for Foodbank and the Salvation Army. Keeping these services running takes considerable planning, food and volunteer support. Under the Stars has a small kitchen and team, making help from individuals, community groups and local businesses essential.

“Honestly, people can’t believe what comes out of our wee kitchen,” says Under the Stars Operations Manager Rose Kent-Wilson. “On service day it’s all hands on deck – pressure cookers, the stovetop, electric frypans, deep fryers, slow cookers – the lot! Last week we fed more than 80 people on Thursday and 133 on Saturday.” The charity serves up everything from burgers to Mexican, always with a salad or veges on the side and dessert. “It’s proper home-cooked kai, made with love.”

Under the Stars began in late 2014 with a plastic table outside Tauranga City Library. Founder Liz Kite had donated food to a woman serving meals there and continued turning up each week after the woman stopped coming. Other volunteers soon joined, bringing food, clothing, bedding and toiletries. One evening, Liz asked a guest where he would be sleeping that night. “Under the stars,” he replied. The name was born.

For the next two years, volunteers continued operating outside the library in all weather, providing food, clothing, conversation and other essentials. In June 2016, Under the Stars became a charitable trust, moving into Cliff Road Hall the following month. While the organisation has grown and changed over the past decade, its core purpose remains the same: being there for people who need food, practical support and a place where they’ll be welcomed without judgement.

The cooking session gave our team the chance to do something useful together while helping Under the Stars stock its freezer. We split into teams to prepare, cook and pack the meals, with everyone pitching in on the clean-up. There was plenty of fun, and more than a little competition over the best-tasting kai.

“Having a group cook the main for us is a huge help,” says Rose. “Our volunteers get more time for the sides and, more importantly, for having a kōrero with our guests, connecting and forming relationships and trust. That’s the heart of it for us: manaakitanga, no strings attached.”

Under the Stars hopes other local organisations and businesses will consider holding their own cooking session. It offers teams the chance to do something useful together and helps the charity maintain a reliable supply of meals. Bulk cooks are one of the main ways businesses can support Under the Stars. Teams can prepare freezer-friendly meals such as curries, chillies, bolognese, lasagne, soups and potato-topped pies. Sessions can be held at Cliff Road on any day of the week, in a commercial kitchen arranged through Under the Stars, or a business can find its own suitable kitchen, as we did.

“If your team’s after something a bit different to do together, a bulk cook is a great one,” says Rose. “It’s good fun, things get a bit competitive, and you’ll head home knowing you’ve made a real difference for people right here in Tauranga.”

How you can help

Organise a corporate cooking session: Bring your team together to prepare hearty, freezer-friendly meals for future services.
Support the Christmas appeal: Under the Stars’ Christmas appeal helps fund a special Christmas meal for guests, along with plenty of giveaways to share throughout the festive season.
Volunteer your time: Volunteers are needed for a range of roles, both during meal services and behind the scenes. Even helping once a month can make a difference to the charity’s ability to deliver its services.
Donate money or supplies: Providing two meals a week, showers, hot drinks and essential items comes with ongoing costs. Under the Stars welcomes financial donations as well as food, toiletries and other supplies that help keep its shelves stocked.

For more information, visit underthestars.org.nz