Gisborne-based foodbank closes after eight years

Johnathan Pere packing food parcels in 2020 during the early days of the Covid pandemic. Pere has decided to shut down his foodbank after eight years. Photo / Paul Rickard

The organiser of a Gisborne-based foodbank says he is “exhausted” and has made the decision to close down after eight years of operating.

Johnathan Pere, the organiser of Online Foodbank NZ/HQ Gisborne, formerly known as East Coast Community Foodbank, spoke with the Gisborne Herald this week about his decision and plans for the future.

“I’ve done the best I can do,” Pere said.

“I’m exhausted.”

Pere said it was time for a new venture and planned to expand his social media noticeboard.

The online noticeboard will be known as Hey It’s! Johnathan, and will retain the food reviews and recipes which have proved popular on the online foodbank.

Pere said the foodbank started before the outbreak of Covid-19 and he estimated the food bank had distributed 500 food parcels every year for the past eight years to recipients who had been referred to them.

After the Covid outbreak in 2020, the first people to receive food parcels were truck drivers who were among the first to no longer be working.

He still expects to receive food donations and vouchers and will pass them on to the Salvation Army.

He said closing the foodbank was a sad moment and there was a farewell party for volunteers.

“I’ve had a bit of a cry,” said Pere.

There had been good and bad times, as was often the case when people went out into the community to help others, according to Pere.

The Salvation Army and SuperGrans Tairāwhiti still operate food banks in Gisborne.

The Salvation Army Gisborne Foodbank is open from 1pm to 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, having extended from two days to three days a week last year to meet demand.

SuperGrans operates on an agency referral and internal referral model for kai parcels and regularly runs kai workshops.

Hey It’s! Johnathan has already started and shows Pere discussing a topical issue each week.

“It’s just my opinion,” he said of the content.

Pere said people were welcome to express their opinions on the noticeboard but without rancour, intimidation or abuse.

Pere expects the popularity of the noticeboard to increase “exponentially”.