Serving with Compassion: Supporting Auckland’s Unhoused Community

Homelessness can arise from many causes. While some individuals without stable housing live with mental illness or addiction, many do not. Often, homelessness is the result of social, emotional, and physical isolation from the support networks others may take for granted.

Tzu Chi New Zealand began its collaboration with Auckland City Mission in 2016. For two years, our volunteers cooked and served hot vegetarian meals every fortnight at the Mission, offering food and warmth to anyone in need.

Over time, our service has evolved. Rather than waiting for people to come to us, we now bring meals directly to them on the streets of Auckland. Twice a month, volunteers prepare nutritious vegetarian meals at our headquarters, each packed with a Jing Si Aphorism sticker to offer encouragement and hope.

These meals are then delivered by hand, as volunteers walk through the city with trolleys, reaching out to those who are unhoused. Through this effort, we continue to share compassion, dignity, and care, one meal at a time.