Christmas Appeal: Holy Trinity Church pushes Tauranga Foodbank donations to highest appeal yet

Holy Trinity Church vicar Dale Williamson (from left) donates $8000 to Nicki Goodwin from the Tauranga Commutnity Foodbank with Tom Bradley. Photo / Andrew Warner

With a song and a dance, and a bucketload of laughter, the Holy Trinity Church has been able to donate a total of $8000 to Tauranga Community Foodbank.

This has pushed the total amount of donations to the most the foodbank has ever received, foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said.

"This is tipping us into the most successful Christmas Appeal ever," she said.

Currently, donations are sitting around $84,000, for the Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal, in partnership with Gilmours Wholesale Food and Beverage Tauriko, with the Holy Trinity donation yet to be added into the amount.

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Goodwin said that while this was good, there would be no pennies spare as demand for food parcels had increased 45 per cent in August - and has only become busier in the months following.

"But we are so grateful for [Holy Trinity] because it is a nice reminder we have their support. It is huge for the community," she said.

"They have supported us for many years, more than I probably know."

The donations were able to be made following the 'A Kiwi Christmas' concert put on by the church.

Goodwin said it was surreal when she was told the church wanted to donate the money to the foodbank.

Creator Tom Bradley said the concert was very much about a "Kiwi Christmas" but looked right back to when Christmas arrived in New Zealand and how it had adapted as different world or local events changed the tone of the day.

"It was interesting to understand how we have adapted this northern hemisphere tradition and absorbed it into our sun and sand and surf culture.

"I am so pleased we decided to offer our profits to the foodbank and I hope we can work with them again."

Holy Trinity Church vicar Dale Williamson said she was delighted to support the foodbank.

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