Cira Olivier: Christmas Appeal for foodbank shows Tauranga's generosity

Tauranga, your support has been amazing. Photo / File

OPINION:
Well, Tauranga, what an appeal.

We only have provisional numbers but this year's Christmas Appeal for the Tauranga Community Foodbank has already set a new record.

The preliminary total one day before the appeal officially ends is $190,990 - already the largest amount raised over the 10 years the appeal has run.

When I was first asked to lead the coverage of the appeal, I was excited and had high expectations.

I had seen how amazing the community was throughout the pandemic and knew people were extremely generous with whatever they could give - their money, time, support, skills.

Knowing the foodbank always needs certain items such as tinned fish, vegetables, fruit, and long-life milk, I envisioned mountains of cans being brought in from the generous people of Tauranga.

But I don't know if the word generous captures the essence of what happened in these six weeks.

Every time foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin let me know about another donation, all I could say was - "oh my gosh".

Donations ranged from thousands of eggs and hundreds of desserts to a boot-load of cheese, handmade Christmas hampers - even a new van.

What I noticed about the business that gave was that they were often long-time supporters of the foodbank. They didn't wait for the Christmas Appeal after a pandemic.

I also caught myself peeking into the appeal boxes around the city, and while I was right about the community stepping up, I was so wrong about the cans.

There were cakes, crackers, nuts, muesli bars, chocolates, toothbrushes, chips - on top of the essentials.

I've had the privilege of seeing first-hand the amazing work the foodbank and all the volunteers do, acting as the bridge between those in the pits of desperation and those who have dug deep to help.

It's something Goodwin talks about, that she wishes the community could see what their generosity was doing.

I spoke with Ezra Johnson, who opened up about his connection to the foodbank when life spiralled out of control and he faced homelessness, substance abuse, debt and marriage troubles.

The parcels took the pressure off of feeding himself, his partner and four kids and gave him space to work on himself with other agencies.

It's not just about not being hungry, it's about freeing up some mental space cluttered with crippling stress and worry about the rent, gas, food and power.

Anyone could end up needing foodbank services, depending on what happens in their lives.

While some people might be flourishing as a result of the pandemic, others have plummeted to rock-bottom. Social agencies are bracing for the situation to worsen next year.

My thoughts are: don't wait for an appeal, a time of year or an obvious crisis to give to those who are supporting our people.

We are in a silent crisis right now, a housing crisis, which was linked to the soaring demand of the foodbank before the pandemic.

But as Christmas comes and goes, remember that the foodbank's work doesn't stop, because the hardship won't stop either.

Again, thank you Tauranga. Your generosity is very much appreciated.