Tauranga funeral home donates $3000 worth of bread to local charities

A Tauranga funeral home is helping fill the tummies of the community and a small local business stay afloat by donating $3000 worth of bread to local charities.

Legacy Funeral Homes is well-known for its community spirit and each year it donates thousands of dollars to help feed those in need and support community projects.

With the current situation, general manager Kiri Randall said they needed to do something now.

So they ordered $3000 worth of fresh bread loaves from The Artisan Bread Bakers in Pyes Pa to donate to The Tauranga Foodbank, Happy Puku and Good Neighbour.

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All of these charities were ones that fed and cared for the cities most vulnerable.

This was a way they could help provide the day-to-day essentials for those worst-affected by the lockdown, she said.

The Artisan Bread Bakers team with the masses of bread loaves ready to be donated. Photo / Supplied

Randall said they often aimed to kill two birds with one stone with their donations, so supporting a local business and giving back to the city's vulnerable was a great way of doing it.

"The need is just so great right now."
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In previous years, the trust had brought hundreds of Girl Guide Biscuits and donated them to the foodbank and similar charities.

All money the funeral home makes goes back into the Legacy Trust, which was used for good in the community.

A total of 170 loaves and 400 buns were delivered to the Tauranga Foodbank this morning and the other two charities could expect the same in the coming days.

She said an order this big was "so exciting" for the bakery and the bakery had even donated 70 loaves themselves.

"We just know how important it is to support the community right now."

Tauranga Foodbank general manager Nicki Goodwin said the smell in the foodbank with all the fresh bread this morning was "absolutely delicious".

She said the donation would make such a difference and being able to give such "beautiful bread" to those in need would be a treat.

Random acts of kindness was something Legacy Funeral Home was all about, she said.

"This is far from the first time that they have done something as amazing as this for us."

She said it was "outstanding" that they were able to help them as they always had over the years and a local business would benefit too.

Happy Puku owner Stephen Wilson said the donation was "phenomenal" and would go such a long way in the community.

He said it would literally put "bread on the table" for more than 50 families his charity fed.

"It's really going to be something special for them, they are always so appreciative."

It sent a "message of hope as it showed people really do care", he said.