Editorial: So many of you cared, thanks

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It's pleasing to know the cupboards at the Tauranga Community Foodbank are bursting at the seams thanks to the 2013 Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal, which, at final count, raised more than $86,000 for the charity.

Reporter Amy McGillivray reported in the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend that donations continued to trickle in during the days before and after Christmas, pushing the provisional total of $75,000 up to a record-setting final figure of $86,496.95.

Businesses, community groups and individuals donated $55,362.95 in cash and 20,756 items, which were valued at $1.50 each.

The previous year's appeal raised a total of $67,000 for the foodbank.

The generosity of the community stunned foodbank chairman Mike Baker, who did not anticipate that the appeal last year would exceed the previous year's total.

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The success of the appeal has set the foodbank up to help those in need in 2014.

Demand for their services has already been heavy.

In the week leading up to Christmas, the foodbank gave out more than 220 food parcels and, last week, 160 were given out.

None of this would have been possible without the generosity of all the people, businesses and other organisations that helped.

We thank you for your support.

While it is widely accepted that the economy is improving, there will still be families who fallon hard times and it is comforting to know that there isan organisation such as the foodbank that is ready and able to help.