Stratford Community Foodbank faces rising demand as Christmas approaches

Stratford Foodbank volunteers Patsy Caskey, Debbie Eden and Kerry Mramor are hoping the foodbank pantry shelves will be a lot fuller soon. Photo / Ilona Hanne

With just five weeks to go to Christmas, the Stratford Community Foodbank shelves are looking alarmingly bare.

Despite this, foodbank co-ordinator Debbie Eden is confident the team will be able to continue meeting the increasing needs in the community.

“We are very fortunate with all the support we have. We get items from Meat the Need and On The House, plus Tegel, our local supermarkets, and members of the community.”

Two recent donations provided a much-needed boost she said, with a recent event by the Taranaki Holden Club raising just over $1300 for them and a non-uniform day by Stratford High School bringing in cans of spaghetti, beans and other items the foodbank gives out to families and individuals every week.

They also are blessed, said Eden, with donations from people’s vegetable gardens and fruit trees at times, which all helps when it comes to putting together food parcels each week.

The food parcels are actually boxes, each one packed with pantry essentials such as eggs, canned food, tinned fruit, some frozen meat, a tin of fish, a spread such as peanut butter or jam, and some form of margarine or butter. Fresh bread goes into the parcel as well as a box of cereal, packets of pasta, noodles, sauce and coffee, tea or Milo, as well as containers of flour and rice are also packed into the box, or more often than not, into bags to go with the box. Then fresh vegetables are added, including potatoes and carrots, a packet of biscuits or crackers and non-pantry items such as soap, washing powder, toilet paper and feminine hygiene products.

“We try to give people everything they will need to keep them going for a while.”

Each parcel is probably worth around $200, said Eden.

As fast as the shelves have filled this year, they have emptied, she said.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in need this year. Looking at our records, we’ve given out 470 parcels so far this year, and that number is going up each week.”

That’s more than they had given out in the same 11-month period last year, she said.

“People are struggling more. We are seeing more elderly people coming in as well, which is really worrying.”

Equally worrying for Eden and the team at the foodbank, is the thought that some people in need might not be coming in and seeking help.

“We know people sometimes don’t want to ask for help, they feel embarrassed or think they shouldn’t ask for some reason. We aren’t here to judge or to do anything but give people some help, not just in the form of the food in the parcels, but also just by being here, so people know they aren’t alone.”

The increase in need is probably because of the current cost of living crisis, said Eden.

“We also are seeing a drop in the donations we actually receive. Because everyone is finding it tough at the moment. In previous years, the donations that came in through our annual letterbox appeal in early December would keep our shelves stocked right through to July or August. This year, we had to start buying those tinned items from around March or early April.”

Every can or packet of crackers donated makes a difference, said Eden, and the team are grateful to all who help, be it with a can donated during the letterbox appeal, or the groups and individuals who drop off items or hold fundraisers over the year.

“Every single person who donates something is helping others in our community.”

Donate:

The annual letterbox appeal takes place on Monday, December 2 from 6pm, listen for the sirens.

Items can also be donated at any time to the foodbank. Drop them off at Community House on Juliet St between 9am and 2.30pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively, people can drop items into the Stratford Press office at 341 Broadway (next to the launderette) between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the lower North Island. She has worked for NZME since 2011.