Generosity means Christmas appeal just keeps on giving

CONTINUING GENEROSITY: Karen Ruddell, left, and Shelly Fischer are thanking the community for their ongoing support. PHOTO/FILE

The shelves at the Salvation Army foodbank were once stripped bare - now they're brimming with thousands of food items the Rotorua community has generously donated.

After banding together to help families in need over Christmas, the Rotorua community raised a whopping $44,169 worth of food and gifts for the cause as part of the Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal.

But the donations didn't stop there, items are still pouring in well after Christmas and the New Year.

Salvation Army Community Ministries manager Shelly Fischer said Christmas hampers filled with food and gifts were initially given to 120 families over Christmas, but because so many items had been donated they were able to give hampers to an extra 20 families.

The large number of donations also meant the foodbank, with a bit of help from regular supporters, would have enough to help families through to the end of 2015, she said.

"It's amazing to see the transition from empty shelves to us struggling to find space for all the food people have given so generously" she said.

"Earlier we couldn't afford to hand out a pack of biscuits, but now we're able to give families in need the staples, as well as a few treat foods like crackers, biscuits or sweets."

The appeal saw hundreds of locals, businesses, clubs, trusts, schools and even preschools get behind it and donate thousands of dollars, food items and gifts, making it one of the most successful Christmas appeals to date.

The Rotorua Daily Post and The Hits food drive saw 5777 items, worth more than $12,000, collected from three suburbs.

Other significant donations to the appeal were made by the Rotary Rotorua Sunrise, Scion, the Freemasons, Countdown, Waiariki Institute of Technology, The Baytrust, McDowell Professionals, Living Well Church and Glenholme School, among others.

Locals were also particularly generous with gifts and toys, which were given to children as presents for Christmas.

Ms Fischer said some had also been given to children at Rotorua Hospital over the Christmas period and there was plenty left over that were likely to be put away to help give next Christmas a good start.

Since the new year the Salvation Army has seen a steady stream of people requiring assistance, but it wasn't a large number, showing that the hampers families got over the Christmas period were likely tiding them over, she said.

"It seems like a lot of people are getting back on their feet and are managing.

"That may not have been possible without the community's support over Christmas."

"We just want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported us and continue to support us in the work that we do."