Generosity boosts charity

Bay of Plenty Times Christmas appeal organiser Sonya Bateson out in Brookfield last night collecting for the Tauranga Community Foodbank. Photo / George Novak

The Bay of Plenty Times hit the streets of Brookfield last night collecting cans of food and other items for the needy in our community.

A dozen staff and volunteers once again went door to door asking for donations of non-perishable food, personal hygiene items and baby products as part of the 2015 Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal for the Tauranga Community Foodbank.

Wet weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of the collectors, nor the generosity of donors, and numerous boxes of food and other items were collected.

Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal organiser Sonya Bateson said there were a lot of needy people in the community.

"No one in our community should go without much-needed food, especially at this time of the year when things become even tighter for lots of families.

"It's awesome to see how willing people are to share what they have to help others in need, even those who haven't got a lot themselves.

"Even donating one or two small items makes a huge difference to Tauranga Community Foodbank and their clients."

Tauranga Community Foodbank chairman Alan Plunkett said the Brookfield can drive collection had been "very positive", including four boxes collected from just one street, and one resident generously filling a box in another street.

Mr Plunkett said the community spirit was alive and well across Tauranga, and he was continuing to field calls from people offering to donate items.

That included a call from a personal friend who offered to donate their Christmas ham after reading about the appeal in the Bay of Plenty Times, he said.

The next can drive collection will be in Papamoa on Wednesday, December 23.

People can expect volunteers wearing blue Bay of Plenty Times T-shirts or foodbank badges to knock on their door.

If you will not be at home but would like to donate, items can be dropped off at the Bay of Plenty Times office at 405 Cameron Rd, Tauranga or at the foodbank site on Brook St near Fraser Cove Shopping Centre.