Tauranga Christmas Appeal: Bureta Physiotherapy stretch their hand out for Tauranga Foodbank

Bureta Physiotherapy marketing manager Jess Prujean with the donated items. Photo / Leah Tebbutt

Nappies, soap and a side of cereal are lining the foyer of Bureta Physiotherapy while it collects donations for the Tauranga Community Foodbank.

For the fourth year running, the team in Bureta have set up their Christmas tree replacing presents with donations from clients and staff.

The food collected will go towards the Bay of Plenty Times' annual six-week Christmas Appeal, in partnership with Gilmours Wholesale Food and Beverage Tauriko, for the Tauranga Foodbank.

Bureta Physiotherapy marketing manager Jess Prujean said it was not just about giving back to the community, but to their business community as well.

"Everyone who donates has a chance at winning a free one-hour massage.

"We really want to encourage people to donate for a good cause."

The Christmas Appeal is now in its final week, having started on November 7.

In that time, 582 food parcels have been given out - about 116 every week, or an average of nearly 17 each day.

A bare minimum of $120,000 will be needed to help the Foodbank with the rising demand of people coming to them for help.

This is for food alone and excludes their operational costs.

The number of donations already received made Prujean happy, but she was still hoping for more over the next week.

Knowing what to donate had been easier this year after the Tauranga Foodbank sent a list of items that were always in demand, she said.

"We've been getting lots of long-life milk and a couple of bags of nappies and things like that.

"I think that's really important, with everything that's going it is important to try and get what they need, rather than endless cans of baked beans."

Tauranga Community Foodbank has been experiencing record demand from people needing help. Over the past year, more than 17,500 called on their services - a 21 per cent increase on the year before.

Covid-19 and the city's housing crisis are believed to be key factors.