Tauranga Foodbank negotiating to buy second delivery van

Tauranga Foodbank warehouse and procurement manager Brendon Collins getting ready to make a delivery. Photo / Sandra Conchie

Tauranga Community Foodbank is in negotiations to buy a second "desperately needed" delivery van to help keep up with the demand for food parcels.

Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said the foodbank had been searching for another
van for several months since the Covid-19 crisis hit more people's pockets.

"It's been thanks to the generosity of Papamoa Family Services that we have been able to borrow a second van two days a week for the past four months."

More than 6391 food parcels have been handed out in the past 12 months, helping out food on the tables of at least 17,566 people, she said.

Goodwin said about 15 per cent of the food parcels each week were delivered to homes because people were not in a financial position to come and collect them.

"For instance, if you live in Pāpāmoa, it's a long way to travel to our depot in central Tauranga to collect a food parcel and get home again."

"As the demand for food parcels continues to grow and our borders of need increase, we will definitely need to make more home deliveries."

The delivery vans were also used to collect donated food, she said.

Goodwin said some of the foodbank's amazing volunteers also delivered food parcels but after a long day of volunteering, it was an added burden they did not need.

"Logistically, we desperately needed a second van to enable us to travel to where the greatest needs are and we had no choice in the end but to buy one.

Goodwin said the foodbank was negotiating with a Tauranga car firm to buy a second-hand van and hoped to finalise the deal early next week.

"The cost of a second delivery van had not budgeted for, but thanks to the great support of our donors over the years we expect to be able to cover the full cost upfront.

"However, it does mean we not only have to pay the extra fuel costs as well as two lots of warrant of fitness, registrations, maintenance expenses, and road user charges."

She said the foodbank's fuel costs had more than doubled since the lockdown and that was expected to rise further over the busy Christmas and New Year holiday period.

Goodwin said they eagerly awaited delivery of their second van early next week and thanked local businesses and individuals for their "heartwarming" continued support.