Helen Craig
Paper Bag Lunch Coordinator
Helen grew up in Ōtepoti/Dunedin and now lives with her whānau in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. From a young age, she’s loved kai (food). She fondly remembers cooking interesting dishes with her dad and baking with her grandmother as a child.
It's no surprise, then, that Helen's the Community Kitchen coordinator! And alongside this role, she runs our Paper Bag Lunches programme.
Helen and her family have whāngaied their two younger children who whakapapa Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tūhoe, and Ngāti Kahungungu. Through BGI, they've had some amazing opportunities to visit marae around the motu (country) and deepen their connection with te ao Māori (the Māori worldview).
Helen loves working with rangatahi, community members and fellow BGI staff who are just as passionate about food and whānau as she is. Looking back, she wishes she’d been encouraged to build confidence in herself sooner. At BGI, she's teaching youth how to feed themselves well, and back themselves while doing it.