Christmas Appeal: Holland Beckett Law encourages other businesses to donate to Foodbank

Holland Beckett Law partners Christie McGregor-Partner (left) and Vanessa Hamm, and practice manager Sharline Fitzgerald. Photo / George Novak

While some Christmas traditions can include watching The Grinch, popping crackers or a box of Favourites for brunch, Holland Beckett Law sends its dividends to the foodbank.

The firm's support for the Tauranga Community Foodbank is in its 11th year and has added up to $22,843.

Its contribution to the 2020 Bay of Plenty Times annual six-week Christmas Appeal, in partnership with Gilmours Wholesale Food and Beverage Tauriko, was $1498. It was the third instalment this year, bringing its donations to the foodbank this year to $3310.

Practice manager Sharline Fitzgerald said the money came from its TECT dividend, and because the company did not budget for it, it paid it forward.

Fitzgerald said every year there was a hardship for different groups of people and this year there were people in the community who lost jobs or suffered from reduced hours due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

She said the housing shortage had weekly rentals increasing at an "alarming rate" which continued to add to the need for the foodbank.

"The Tauranga foodbank is an exceptionally well-run organisation meeting the most basic need for families who face hardship," she said.

Fitzgerald encouraged all businesses to consider what they were giving back to the community and help those most in need.

"If you have some unbudgeted income - or savings - then consider sharing this with the Tauranga foodbank."

She felt every dollar donated went to a person in genuine need.

There were three key points that gave the law firm confidence the money was well placed in the hands of the foodbank, with every cent going to where it needs to go, she said.

These were the referral process to make sure the system isn't abused; the "exceptional" job of sourcing nutritional food in bulk to maximise value; and a "fantastic" volunteer base which also kept costs down, she explained.

From businesses to families, Tauranga has been showing its support for this year's Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal, digging deep and thinking of those in the community.

The total cash donations yesterday afternoon were at $65,316 - nearly $20,000 more than the $47,944 at the same time in last year's appeal.

The foodbank needs a bare minimum of $120,000 in cash alone to help set it up for next year.

A total of 19,826 food items have been donated, compared to 12,704 this time last year.