Te Puke Emergency Services street food collection hailed as best ever

Some of the volunteers who helped out at last week's Te Puke Emergency Services Foodbank Appeal.

Last week's emergency services food bank street appeal was the best yet.

Food bank manager Clare Cooper says ever since the appeal she has had the song Simply the Best on her mind.

''That's because Te Puke is simply the best,'' she says.

''I thought this year we would maybe be a bit light because people are struggling, but it was the biggest food drive ever.''

She says the turnout from the emergency services and MPI was phenomenal and allowed every street in Te Puke to be covered.

''There were two fire trucks and crew, two MPI trucks, the health shuttle and ambulance and the police and they had some young people helping too.''

In the past six months, the food bank had handed out 1000 food parcels. That compares to 1100 in the 12 previous 12 months.

The equivalent of well over 100 banana boxes of food was donated.

''It was also very practical stuff this year,'' says Clare. ''It was all the basics this year which is great and in some areas we will now have enough to keep us going.

''It's very sobering, but it is phenomenal how giving out community has been.''