Whanganui foodbanks report manageable festive period but say demand is increasing

Whanganui food rescue organisation The Koha Shed struggled with food demand before Christmas. Photo / Fin Ocheduszko Brown

Despite a manageable festive period, Whanganui foodbanks have noticed an increase in demand for food.

Koha Shed founder Sherron Sunnex said the lead-up to Christmas was “a little bit more of a struggle” to manage.

The organisation held its 10th annual Christmas Party in 2025.

“We had to purchase more food than we normally do for our Christmas party,” Sunnex said.

“We were really lucky, we had a massive food share, there were a huge amount of people there.

“We managed to feed them all and we were very lucky that a whole lot of people in the community put their hands up to help.”

Koha Shed gets additional help from Whanganui Kai Hub and City Mission Whanganui.

“We have found that the demand for food is growing and so we are having to buy in food to supplement that on the day that they are not donating to us,” Sunnex said.

Sunnex said the organisation were not overwhelmed by the number of people throughout the festive period but the numbers greatly increased, which meant they had to buy in more food.

“Holidays put a lot of pressure on families, I’m already receiving a lot of messages asking, ‘where else can we go and get a little bit of help now?’” she said.

“If we could have this year, we would have stayed open all the way through – there’s just a huge need.”

Sunnex said Koha Shed’s community garden is flourishing and they will reopen the community fridge on January 5.

City Mission manager Dr Antony Nobbs said the number of people in need was the same as most years.

“It’s 100% up from last year but it’s not as busy as the before-Christmas period,” he said.

“Not a lot has changed, there is still a huge demand but we haven’t been swamped but we don’t expect to be so we plan accordingly.

“At the moment, it’s good, people are pretty happy as much as they can be.”

City Mission Whanganui's Dr Antony Nobbs said there has been a 100% increase in demand from 2024. Photo / Fin Ocheduszko Brown

In the last two weeks of December, the organisation operated Monday to Wednesday but will now switch back to its usual hours.

Nobbs said a lot of people go away during summer, including those who are struggling, which is likely why they weren’t “swamped”.

He said there is a misunderstanding that all the users of foodbanks are unemployed.

“We’ve sometimes got two-income families but all you need is one thing to break down, like a car or kids’ dental bills,” he said.

“We’re all a couple of pay days away from falling off the edge.”

Sunnex is expecting a busy start to 2026, with demand for school uniforms and everyday life.

“In the first few days with the reopening of the community fridge, I would say we would probably be double than what we normally get,” she said.

“We are lucky to have a little stockpile of canned food that has been donated.”

Meanwhile, Nobbs is hoping for a slow start but said whether that happens is uncertain.

To support Whanganui’s food rescue organisations or donate food, visit their respective websites.

Fin Ocheduszko Brown is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.