Cost of living crisis: Tauranga foodbank’s costs spiral, Good Neighbour food rescue volumes drop

Donations to a Tauranga food rescue service are down 14,000kg a month and the city foodbank had to shrink food parcels - sometimes going without basics such as potatoes and onions - as its expenses soar by $10,000 a month.

Charities trying to feed people in the city are straining as food prices and demand rise during the cost of living crisis.

An organisation linking people to social agencies says 69 per cent of requests for help are for food. Tauranga Community Foodbank has gained more than 3700 clients and the Ministry of Social Development provided about 10,190 food grants in March in the Bay of Plenty.

Annual food prices increased 12.5 per cent for the year to April 2023, StatsNZ reported this month. Fruit and vegetable prices were the biggest driver, up 22.5 per cent, and grocery food prices increased 14 per cent.

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Tauranga charitable organisation Good Neighbour has a food rescue service that collects unsold or donated food from suppliers, including 13 supermarkets, and distributes it among 62 local community organisations regularly, and another nine intermittently.

Manager Simone Gibson said it had seen a drop of about 14,000kg of rescued food per month. For perspective, that’s roughly equal to the weight of two-and-a-half elephants.

She said that meant less to go around for its recipient organisations, which fed about 4700 people each week.

“Increased demand coupled with fewer food donations means more Kiwi families are struggling to put food on the table.”

The cost of living crisis had “hit everyone hard”, including support providers.

Gibson said there had been a roughly 20 per cent drop in food coming through the network since September.

The organisation rescued about 42,000kg of food per month which could make about 120,000 meals, compared to an average of 56,000kg a month, or about 160,000 meals, between March and August 2022.

Gibson said supermarkets were carefully managing restricted stock and product ranges, selling products near best-before dates at reduced prices, repackaging produce, selling dented cans, and “generally trying to take products to their limit”.

She said this was good practice and consumers could make choices to fit their budget, although it meant less food for the rescue.

“It’s getting harder for food support organisations at every level to keep up with demand.”

She said funding had also become harder to secure, constraining Good Neighbour’s operations.

She was grateful for the more than 200 weekly volunteers who made its services, which included other food sustainability programmes, possible.

The New Zealand Food Network is one of Good Neighbour’s suppliers, and it was also seeking more donations with less excess food available from producers, manufacturers and businesses, resulting in less stock to distribute.

Good Neighbour general manager, Simone Gibson. Photo / Alex Cairns

The reductions had also impacted the foodbank.

Manager Nicki Goodwin said the amount of rescued fruit and vegetables it received had dropped “substantially”, with only enough to help some of its clients.

At times, potatoes and onions had also been unaffordable despite an “amazing” supplier who gave the best price possible, she said. Stats NZ’s Food Price Index put the retail price for a kilo of potatoes at $3.28 in March 2023, compared to $2.37 in March 2022.

Goodwin said the charity was paying $10,000 more each month overall for food, 84 per cent above its budget.

Client numbers had also spiked as food costs rose. It helped 19,377 clients in the last 12 months, 10,394 of those children. In the 12 months prior, it helped 15,642 clients.

The foodbank spent an average of $21,700 each month on food over the last 12 months and had to look closely at every item it paid for.

Goodwin said canned goods price rises meant it had to stop buying canned fruit, creamed corn, and soup for now, relying on donations of those items.

It was working towards having a budget to purchase seasonal fruit and vegetable as well as becoming involved in growing its own produce.

It was still managing to provide enough food for four days worth of meals per parcel, but had to reduce some of the goods provided in each.

“Our focus remains on good food that people can take home and create home-cooked tasty meals.”

Some regular financial donors had to cancel their regular payments, which she had “no doubt” was due to the high cost of living.

Tauranga Community Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin. Photo / Mead Norton

It had also seen “very generous” people reach out with financial support.

She said it was grateful to Tauranga City Council, TECT, Acorn Foundation and Lotto for the operational funding which freed up community donations for food purchases.

The foodbank planned, saved and operated to ensure future sustainability during hard times like this, she said.

“There is no risk that foodbank will not be able to manage our way through this cost of living crisis”.

Here to Help U is one of the agencies that can give someone a foodbank referral.

The free, one-stop-shop links people to well-being services in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty.

Felicity Beadle of Wise Group said it’s biggest volume of requests related to food.

In the last 12 months, it supported 6745 people and whānau, 69 per cent with requests for food. That compared to 2586 in the 10 months prior and 45 per cent for food, Beadle said.

Here to Help U is a one-stop shop for well-being support in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty. Photo / Supplied

She said they had noticed more people who used to cope now reaching out for help after an unexpected bill or a rise in their mortgage interest rate or rent.

Via its website and free-phone number, Here to Help U can connect people to 139 linked local social support and well-being help providers.

Beadle said people felt relieved and cared for once they connected with the team and support was arranged.

How to get help

If you need foodbank support, you need to be referred, but it’s a simple process.

If you’re already connected with a community centre, social worker or health care service, they can make the referral.

Alternatively, contact Here to Help U - 0800 568 273 - who can arrange a referral.

You can also submit a help request online at heretohelpu.nz in two minutes. A friendly team member will contact you and do all the work to ensure you and your whānau get the right support at the right time.

The Ministry of Social Development might be able to help you with food if you’re on a low income or a benefit.

If you’re a current client, you may be able to apply using MyMSD, otherwise, call MSD and speak about your situation to see how they can help.

Want to help the foodbank?

If you’re in a position to, and want to help, financial donations are “super valuable” as the foodbank can purchase staple food items in bulk and take advantage of any savings.

Fresh produce from people’s gardens is also welcomed and appreciated, as are other groceries the foodbank can’t buy such as shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and toothpaste.

There are enough volunteers at this time.

Manager Nicki Goodwin said there has also been a notable increase in the number of people living in their cars.

“We understand that times are tough, but there is no shame in asking for help.”