Christmas Appeal: Tauranga Community Foodbank shares donation wishlist

Christmas is an indulgent occasion for people spoilt with the choice of abundant festive food offerings.

In a challenging economic environment, however, this isn’t the case for some people in Tauranga counting on the local foodbank to help feed their families these holidays.

The annual six-week Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal launched on Saturday, supporting the Tauranga Community Foodbank’s work in the community by encouraging people to donate food and money.

Foodbank general manager Nicki Goodwin said the need for food support in December was 40% higher than in May, so the appeal was important.

She said her team ensured every item donated was used “where it’s needed the most”.

Key items on the foodbank’s wishlist this year were cereals, Christmas treats, spreads and tinned soup.

Drinking chocolate, instant coffee, canned fruit, muesli bars and tinned fish would also be welcomed with open arms.

Goodwin said over time there has been a change in the types of food people needed from the foodbank, which spent $20,000 a month on groceries.

Jordy Gastmeier, warehouse manager for the foodbank, manages the warehouse space as well as the food inventory, food ordering and storage rotation. Photo / Alex Cairns

“What we can’t buy on our budget is personal care items and things like Christmas treats. If they’re donated, that is fantastic.

“If people can give us the odd bit here and there, we can share that out in the community,” Goodwin said.

The Christmas appeal is the foodbank’s biggest fundraiser of the year and Goodwin is optimistic this appeal will be successful again.

“People become aware of our service [through the appeal] and may learn more about us and what we do, how we help people and how we take good care of their donation.”

Cash donations were also welcomed, and used by the foodbank to source items they would not usually be able to purchase within their current budget.

Last year’s appeal saw $251,662.90 in donations - $168,650.90 in cash and 33,205 food items donated, valued at $2.50, totalling $83,012.

The cash donations exceeded the $167,758.84 donated in 2022 from the community by nearly $900.

This year the foodbank, which covers Pahoia to Pāpāmoa East, would value donated food items at $3 to account for higher costs.

Tauranga Community Foodbank Wishlist 2024

• Cereal
• Christmas treats
• Spreads
• Tinned soup
• Drinking chocolate
• Instant coffee
• Canned fruit
• Muesli bars
• Tinned fish

Any items are welcome, even if they’re not on the list.

Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.