It was a mad dash yesterdayas people raced against the clock in a 90-second grocery grab, filling trolleys with essential goodies for the Rotorua Salvation Army.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay, Rotorua Salvation Army officer Ralph Overbye, Countdown Fenton St store manager John Burns, and Overbye's children Joel, 11, and Ezra,9, had 90 seconds to collect food and essential items.
Countdown offered to give 90 seconds to grab items up to the value of $500, with Todd McClay and the National Party agreeing to match the $500, making it $1000 worth of groceries.
Countdown and the Salvation Army have teamed up for their annual Food Rescue Winter Appeal to help stock the Salvation Army's foodbanks ahead of the colder time of the year.
The appeal started on May 24 and runs until June 17.
Rotorua Salvation Army officer Ralph Overbye said, over the winter months, they did see more people who needed their food bank support because of the extra costs of keeping warm and healthy.
"One way we are able to help is by giving them assistance with food to help reduce some of the essential grocery costs.
"Often people are having to choose between paying a power bill and putting food on the table, or sometimes even between having their power on or putting food on the table."
He said they expected the demand would be on par with last year, although it would not surprise him if there was an increase, as they knew the cost of living had increased, particularly in regards to affordable housing.
Ralph Overbye at the Salvation Army Rotorua foodbank. Photo/Stephen Parker
Ralph said winter warmers were always great for donations - food that is relatively easy to heat like spaghetti, baked beans, Irish stew and soups.
However, essential items such as baby foods, school lunch fillers, dishwashing liquid, toothpaste, and toilet paper are also much needed items for the Salvation Army - "we're always short of toilet paper".
"We're all part of this community, and community supports each other.
"It may not be 'us' in need right now, but we never know when we might find ourselves in need.
"I think we'd all like to think that if the shoe was on the other foot, we'd have a loving community behind us. Appeals like this are about our communities supporting each other."
Overbye said the 90-second grocery grab was a fun way of bringing awareness to the need they had over winter.
She said they were grateful to Countdown, Todd McClay and the National Party for their support.
McClay said the Salvation Army did an important job in our community.
"Countdown show a lot of support to the Salvation Army. To kick off the winter appeal in this way helps develop attention to the generous nature of our community."
Burns said Countdown supported the Salvation Army throughout the year and had a great relationship with them, both nationally and locally.
"I'm looking forward to getting as much in the trolley as we can."
Customers can donate food in any Countdown store via the designated purple Food Rescue bins, donate a winter food bundle online via The Foodbank Project, or donate money in-store at the checkout.
