Christmas appeal: Foodbank needs a little bit extra

Raisins, coconut and chocolate chips can make all the difference for Tauranga Community Foodbank clients who can use them to create yummy baked goods.

Volunteer Anne Brown, who has been with the foodbank for a year, said their newly created baking bags had been really popular.

The bags were filled with baking ingredients such as flour, sugar and cornflour ready for people to turn it into edible creations.

"A lot of our customers just love them. They can bake with their kids or bake themselves and make anything they like."

However, the foodbank was in need of special ingredients to put that "little bit extra" into the baking bags.

"The staples are the flour and sugar and the cornflour, but it's nice to have a luxury item, things like raisins or coconut, chocolate bits, hundreds and thousands, dates," she said.

"Donations of those are really appreciated."

Ms Brown said volunteering at the foodbank had been "brilliant".

"It's a great organisation to be a part of. You feel as though you're making a difference to people's lives.

"One of the other exciting things is that every week is different. You can't say that every week is going to be the same because it never is," she said.

"We get some lovely customers coming in who really appreciate the food they are given. That's very rewarding."

She said volunteering made a difference to someone else's life.

"You feel very humble because they are so grateful. One woman, when I took her food parcel out, she said, 'oh this just feels like Christmas', and gave me a great big hug.

"And I love food, so working with food is a natural for me."