When mother-of-nine Maria and her husband Joe lost their South Auckland home in the first January floods, the family of 11 was placed into emergency accommodation.

It’s been a tough two months for Maria and her whānau - especially when Government doors supposed to help her get back into a home kept closing in her face.

But one door that was always open was that of Dave Letele and his BBM charity.

From empty to full.

Maria is a mum of seven, but also has custody of her 15 and 11-year-old brothers in Mangere, South Auckland.

 “Joe and I have had custody of my brothers since they were 12 and eight. They are now 15 and 11 and are treated the same as our children,” Maria said.

The whānau lost their home in the January 27, 2023 Auckland floods and were housed in emergency accommodation for four weeks.

Then they moved to a Sudima hotel, and then social housing located a new home a few weeks later.

Maria said when she contacted the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) for help with furnishing the new home, she said she got no support.

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A person at the MSD office suggested she contact Letele, as his door is always open.

A new bedroom suite for Maria's whānau. Photo / Supplied

Letele and his team lept into action, providing the whānau with 10 new beds, a fridge, washing machine, TV and other household goods.

Maria told Letele that he and his BBM workers were gifts from God.

“My kids would have been happy to meet you guys. They are very thankful, and we always thank you guys in our prayers morning and night,” Maria said, as she started to cry again.

Maria and her whānau also received Pak’nSave vouchers as part of the organisation’s Pak Your Pantry initiative to help communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle. The initiative aims to work with community partners in the worst affected areas to support families who’ve been displaced or whose homes have been inundated, helping them get back on their feet by providing them with essentials and Pak’nSave vouchers.

New dining set for Maria and Joe.

Andrew Graney, owner-operator of Pak’nSave Tamatea in Napier, said: “Many Kiwi families have lost everything in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. Packing their pantries full of essentials when they get back home or move into new accommodation is something we can do to help. We know people are doing it tough, and we want to make it as simple and easy as possible for those affected to get back on their feet.”

“Pak Your Pantry is about providing practical support. We’ve put together a shopping list of essential items to help families, and we’ll distribute gift cards through our community partners, who are supporting whānau across Hawkes Bay, Coromandel, Gisborne, Wairoa, Northland and Auckland.”

Letele said Maria burst back into tears again when he gave her the $800 worth of vouchers that she can now use to fill her pantry.

“We are grateful to the wonderful support BBM gets from great organisations like Pak’nSave and Foodstuffs, who, like us, really care about our communities and support our mahi,” Letele said.