“It’s really easy to throw in a few extra cans or non-perishable goods that are going to help someone across the road from you or around the corner or in your local school,” she said.
Gunn said a few boxes and shopping bags of donated food items were already starting to appear.
Rotorua Primary School and John Paul College students were collecting cans, as were clients of St Chad’s Trust.
The non-perishable foodstuffs would be donated to the Rotorua Salvation Army, Gunn said.
“[Salvation Army] know the community, they are highly organised, and we thought they would be the right food bank to give our cans to.”
Gunn said the collection was a simple concept and “just another way of helping your community”.
The primary collection centre was the DCA Architects office on Amohia St.
DCA Architects managing director Darryl Church said he had been involved in Rotary Rotorua Sunrise Club for several years and the club had previously donated to foodbanks around town.
His firm would be matching employee donations two to one, he said.
“It’s a way for us as a company to collectively get behind it.”
Church encouraged other businesses to take part.
“Then I’d like to think that one million cans is something that would be really easy to achieve,” he said.
Registered clubs from across the country could nominate their chosen foodbank and track the number of items collected.
“No one place is getting a concentrated donation,” Church said.
“The reach is going to be quite wide.”
New Zealand Rotary district governor Jennifer Wong said the cost-of-living crisis was hitting households hard, and the need for donations had never been greater.
One in five Kiwis, or about one million people, experienced food poverty, she said.
“I’m hopeful and confident that we can get there.”
All of Rotary’s district governors had come together to set the million-cans goal, Wong said.
“We are pretty excited, although obviously nervous, because one million food items is a big target.”
Food items can be dropped at DCA Architects’ office, located at 3010/1205 Amohia St, between 9am and 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, until June 16.
Items most in need:
- Canned fish
- Baked beans and Spaghetti
- Canned veges
- Canned fruit
- Soup
- Diced tomatoes
- Spreads
- Rice
- Pasta
- Cereals.
