Gift fills shelves for Sallies

A trailer-load of food worth $4000 has been donated to the Salvation Army after a Whangarei businessman read about the army's Christmas appeal in the Northern Advocate.

Businessman Mark Cromie read that the Salvation Army was having trouble filling its cupboards to dish out food parcels to the district's needy and offered to help.

Peter Mullenger, the army's director of community ministries in Whangarei, said he was thrilled with the donation.

"He rang me after Christmas and asked how much it would cost to fill the food bank, and I said that's the million-dollar question."

Mr Mullenger said a lot of foodbank contributions taper off in January, which is often a tough time for families who stretched their budgets to get through Christmas only to be greeted with back-to-school costs in January.

"The cost of school fees, uniforms and stationery put people under stress, particularly single-income families."

Warehouse Stationery contributed $1000 in gift vouchers, which Mr Mullenger redeemed for stationery appropriate for school-age kids to avoid the vouchers being misspent.

Mr Cromie said he was in a position to help, and took the opportunity to do so.

"It's about a local company putting money back into the community."

Mr Mullenger said this could be a wake-up call for other local businesses.

Pak n' Save Whangarei significantly reduced their margins to assist the donation.