More than 100 volunteers from the three groups and many other local organisations helped collect and sort food donations from 6pm-9pm.
“It’s a really beautiful example of community turning up to help others in the community,” Nobbs said.
“It’s probably the happiest time I reckon I see community in the year.”
Ngaire Eyers Simms, event organiser and member of the Rotary Club’s Community Committee, said it was an amazing event to help organise. She and Community Committee director Damien Hegley were key organisers this year.
“To see everybody come together, people that wouldn’t necessarily mix day to day ... just getting in there and getting the job done,” she said.
The drive collected about 350 boxes of food this year, down from the roughly 650 collected during last year’s drive.
“It’s a drop of maybe half, which in itself is a significant statement about the economic times we live in,” Nobbs said.
The need for food services has doubled since last September.
“Demand for food with us is 100% up on September last year,” Nobbs said.
“The environment in terms of how much food is needed, it’s massive.”
In the weeks before the event, the foodbank was struggling with severe shortages.
The Rotary Club noticed the urgent need and organised donations from Whanganui businesses, inviting them to donate food parcels in the weeks leading up to the food drive.
“The shelves were empty and it was quite a concern,” Eyers Simms said.
“They only had about a week’s worth of food left and so we thought, what can we do to try and help get some [donations] in advance?”
They launched the workplace challenge, sending photos of what a food parcel could look like to businesses. A “significant number” took part from across Whanganui and beyond.
Velo Ronny’s Bicycle Store even had an employee cycle their donations to the food bank in a show of support.
The food parcels collected from the workplace challenge have helped fill some of the gap from last year’s drive collections.
“[It’s] just a reflection of how tight times are,” Nobbs said.
Eyers Simms said she agreed that the drop in donations was not a failure of the community or individuals, but instead a reflection of the widespread economic hardship.
Donations can still be made to the foodbank, as regular ones are needed to keep the shelves stocked year round.
Eyers Simms said it could be as simple as bringing fruit down from a garden tree which would otherwise go to waste.
“People forget that if they’ve got like an orange tree down the backyard or ... if you’ve got a pile of stuff and it’s just going into the ground, chuck it in a box and take it down to the food bank,” she said.
City Mission accepts not only food donations, but healthcare goods such as sanitary products, donations of second-hand goods and monetary donations, in person and through its website.
“We are incredibly grateful for the kindness and the generosity of people in Whanganui,” Nobbs said.
