Christmas Appeal: A time for giving and receiving

Tauranga Community Foodbank chairman Alan Plunkett is always overwhelmed by the number of people willing to help. Photo / File

Well guys and gals, it's that crazy time of year again when it is said that it is better to give than to receive.

As chairman of Tauranga Community Foodbank, however, I am in a position to argue.

I walked into the old premises of Tauranga Community Foodbank about three years ago and offered to help in any way possible.

Some six months later, I was elected chairman. As a somewhat recently retired person, with time and enough energy on my side, so it began.

The role I have adopted of supervising all that takes place - delegating through the members of my board (six of them) and our wonderful manager Nikki Goodwin - has thankfully been accepted and appears to work very well.

My argument about the giving and receiving is quite simple.

We at the foodbank are continually astonished at the willingness of so many of the so-called more fortunate people of our wonderful city to give food items to us to distribute to those less fortunate.

From corporate bodies to Johnny on the street, people arrive every day or phone for us to pick up, and subsequently distribute, some victuals.

The support we receive through the Bay of Plenty Times at this time every year (for the past four years so far) and Tauranga's The Hits radio is quite phenomenal.

There is a major need and we have a workforce of more than 40 personnel who, with the exception of our manager, are all unpaid volunteers.

From all of us to all of you, a very big personal thanks and may we all, fortunate and unfortunate, continue to benefit from either giving or receiving.

Alan Plunkett

Tauranga Community Foodbank chairman