Christmas appeal: 'Luxury' items make all the difference

Luxury items like chocolates, Christmas puddings, soft toys and shortbread will be added to Tauranga Community Foodbank clients' Christmas parcels thanks to local businesses.

Baywide Community Law managing solicitor Beverley Edwards has organised the collection for the past three years among businesses and aimed to collect "luxury" items to make Christmas extra special for foodbank clients.

These items included chocolate biscuits, candy, soft drinks and shampoo - all items the foodbank does not buy.

Ms Edwards dropped flyers at different businesses that Baywide worked closely with asking them to bring in donations.

"Three years ago we decided we were going to do a food collection for those items the foodbank doesn't generally get given. It's those luxury items that make such a difference to people at Christmas time, to have something that's special."

Ms Edwards said, as a community law firm, the collection reflected Baywide's passion for the community.

It was great to see how much people thought about others at this time of year, she said.

"Imagine not having anything to give your children on Christmas. That's what upsets me the most at this time of year - it's meant to be a family time and yet some families don't get any of these kinds of treats."

The collection ran over four weeks and - as well as Baywide - Beca, Quay Property Management and JK Hamilton also contributed to the haul.

As of Wednesday morning, the appeal had reached $74,202 in cash and food items.