The job was the first one she saw advertised when she began looking for work after having children.
"I just thought, oh my goodness, I've got to find out more," she said.
"It's a bit of management and a lot of helping people.
"I couldn't imagine anything better."
Tauranga Community Foodbank general manager Nicki Goodwin during last year's Christmas appeal. Photo / George Novak She had never worked at a non-profit before, and she "had no clue at all" how it would work.
Since then, the role has involved more than she could have imagined.
"There's no typical day. But, there are the core things."
She said the first priority of her and her team was "doing everything they can to meet the needs of someone who needs support".
Her second was "our volunteers - meeting their needs and making sure that they're getting satisfaction and they're happy in their work".
Lastly came the "boring stuff", which she said included "management and admin and ordering and all the stuff that has to happen in any industry".
She remembers the first level 4 lockdown as a defining moment in her career.
"That was such a challenging time for everybody.
"The team at foodbank just kept on trucking and kept it going and kept supporting people. It was challenging, but it was so rewarding."
She said the most surprising thing about her time in the role has been the people.
Jordy Gastmeier with the foodbank's general manager Nicki Goodwin. Photo / George Novak "The thing that stands out the most is the volunteers. They make everything tick.
"Everyone who is involved in a day at foodbank is treated equally - that's our volunteers, that's our clients, that's people that donate.
"The foodbank is so inclusive of everybody. It doesn't matter where you've come from or anything - it's irrelevant.
"People come first."
The worst part of her job, she said, was the meetings.
"That's when you're not interacting with our clients or our volunteers or our partners in the community, and that's what it's all about."
She was grateful to live in Tauranga, and felt there was something unique about the region.
"I never understood how special this place is until I worked for foodbank.
"That's everybody - it's the people that donate to us, it's the people that receive from us. I don't know that anywhere else in New Zealand is as special as this place is.
"I just want to say thank you to the community as a whole."
She thought the foodbank going forward needed to remain flexible and current, and embrace the changes that come with the times.
"As the community's needs change, or as we discover better ways of serving our community, we need to do that.
"Change is positive. It's definitely on the horizon. It always is."
