"We wanted to come up with a way that could help as many people as possible. Being a mother to three girls aged 3 and under, I understand the pressure on today's parents and their whanau, so there's really no better way to help our community than making sure there are some full bellies at Christmas."
Stratford Community Foodbank chairwoman Dianne Roberts says the money has come on top of a successful community food drive. However, if people would like to help out with something a bit extra, the foodbank always loves getting donations of fresh fruit and veges, feminine hygiene products, and UHT milk.
Sharon Wills, the manager of New Plymouth Community Foodbank, says it will also use a lot of the money on fresh fruit and vegetables, which are always in demand.
Importantly, she says, if someone has a spare building in central New Plymouth, she would love to hear from them. The food bank is losing its premises in Vivian St shortly and they need somewhere to call home to cope with the growing demand.
Waitara Foodbank-Pataka Kai manager Amy Olsen says the money will come in handy to buy food because it's been a tough couple of years for many people.
"We don't have a demographic of particular people any more. We're getting people from all walks of life now."
