Under the Stars

We serve our homeless and hungry community in Tauranga, with kindness and compassion.

Every Saturday at 5:00pm and Thursday at 12:00pm we provide a healthy, home cooked meal to over 100 of our guests. We have never missed a Saturday dinner since we started in October 2014 or a Thursday lunch since that began in August 2019. There are always lots of smiles and grateful words. Meals are certainly an uplifting environment for all of us.

Many of our guests have addiction and mental health issues. However, we are always there for them twice a week, with a sense of community, love, compassion and kindness as they walk in the door.

Since we started renting the the building in 2016, we’ve been able to provide hot showers. We soon realised that much more than food was required. Before long Under the Stars was supplying toiletries and many other essential items our guests require. The building also allows our guests to rest from the elements with a hot drink, even if only for a couple of hours.

Early on we learnt that many people did not have a birth certificate. Without documents you cannot open a bank account, get a job or receive support from WINZ. To get a birth certificate you need an address, which by definition rules out our homeless guests. Under the Stars has been supporting our guests through the process of getting documentation, by helping with applications, providing addresses, and advocating on their behalf.

We have seen many lives changed. We dream that Tauranga will be known not only for its beauty but also for its kindness and compassion to those in need.

Under the Stars is a charitable trust run by a collection of volunteers, and is funded entirely by donations from the public. Our registration number is CC53693.