Tauranga Community Foodbank launches regular giving programme

"What's for tea?"

The Tauranga Community Foodbank is on a mission to help needy families plagued by this question with its new regular giving programme.

The What's For Tea donation initiative will allow supporters of the foodbank to donate a regular sum of money towards keeping the shelves stocked and bellies full.

The programme allows people to give a weekly or monthly donation to help support the foodbank support families in need.

According to a promotional pamphlet, a pledge of $10 a week would provide a person in need with food for three days - during a year, this weekly donation could feed 52 hungry people.

Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said the programme was "ready to roll" after six months in the works.

"The name 'What's For Tea' is quite important as it can be quite a struggle for people to answer that question. By giving to the programme, [people] will be able to help others answer that question.

"The thinking was to make it easier for people to give a little bit, more often. It doesn't have to be a big donation for you to be important to the foodbank.

"Every single person will make a difference."

Goodwin said regular donors had the opportunity to learn about the difference their support made to the community and the impact the foodbank had.

"Building relationships with the people who support us is part of it as well," Goodwin said.

"In the past, we've had all these amazing people step up once a year and give to us, but then we never get the chance to have them visit the foodbank.

Goodwin said the programme would also allow the foodbank to budget.

"It allows us to plan ahead a bit easier and make sure we're not ever in a position where we don't have anything on the shelves."

Goodwin said more information about What's For Tea could be found through the foodbank's website, or she encouraged people to call or visit.

"If someone does join the What's For Tea programme, we will be in touch pretty much straight away."