A “tremendous” total of just over $250,000 worth of cash and food donations has been raised for the Tauranga Community Foodbank in the Bay of Plenty Times’s 2023 Christmas Appeal.
The final tally comes as the last can of soup, pack of biscuits and bottle of sauce collected for the six-week drive have been counted by the foodbank’s hardworking volunteers.
Despite the high cost of living, Tauranga people, businesses and organisations gave generously from their wallets and cupboards in the spirit of Christmas.
A total of 33,205 food items were donated. For the purpose of the tally, each item is valued at $2.50 – the same as in 2022 – totalling $83,012 worth of food. The combined tally was $251,662.90.
In the 2022 appeal, $256,471 was donated – $167,758.84 in cash and $88,712 in food. It was the highest amount raised in the appeal’s history. The second-highest was a total of $254,416, donated in 2020.
The foodbank store celebrated its first birthday this year, aiming to provide longer-term support for struggling households and to give clients “control and ownership” over what they eat each week.
“This appeal result gives us a financially positive start to 2024, and all the extra goodies donated will put a smile on a lot of people’s faces,” she said.
Acting Bay of Plenty Times editor Samantha Motion said the team was proud to have helped the community achieve another great result for the foodbank.
“We know lots of people had to tighten their belts last year so to see Tauranga digging deep to support this vital service is heartwarming.”
Harriet Laughton is a multi-media journalist based in the Bay of Plenty.