Brebner opts to pass on foodbank baton

Don Brebner has stood down as Tauranga Community Foodbank Trust chairman after 12 years.

But the community stalwart remains a trustee, saying the foodbank is an important charity which helps the 5 per cent of Tauranga families who are struggling financially.

Taking over as chairman is former Tauranga City Councillor Mike Baker, who began as a trustee six months ago. The vote was unanimous.

Mr Brebner said 12 years was "long enough" as chairman, but he was keen to continue as a trustee.

He remains heavily involved in community organisations, including as a board member of Habitat For Humanity and social services organisation Te Tuinga Whanau, and chairman of charitable trust Voice for Life and St Joseph's Parish council.

Mr Brebner said the foodbank was an important community organisation and needed all the help it could get.

"It deals with the coal-face of helping people when they are really struggling financially.

"It would be one of the best possible ways of reaching out to families, because the level of need here in Tauranga is really great.

"It's perhaps not recognised well by the public, but something like 5 per cent of all families here would be in financial strife a lot of the time. It's an awfully big number if you separate that to 6000-7000 people, which is what it would be here in Tauranga."

New chairman Mr Baker said he was delighted to take up the role.

He became interested in the foodbank during his time as a city councillor between 2007 and 2010.

"We received as councillors a large number of presentations by various organisations," he said. "The foodbank is one that particularly appealed to me. It was really helping people basically at the bottom of the cliff."

As the Bay of Plenty Times today announced the foodbank was the recipient of the newspaper's Christmas Appeal, Mr Baker said he hoped it would raise the organisation's profile.

Mr Brebner said he was "thrilled and excited" at the Bay of Plenty Times' decision: "It's going to inspire a lot of people out there to do what they would only need inspiration for, to support the foodbank.

"Pre-Christmas people are going to be in a more giving mood than normal, and hopefully will share it with the foodbank, which is wonderful."