Christmas Appeal: Company helps foodbank get running

Tauranga ITM donated shelving to the Tauranga Community Foodbank. Pictured are Jon Keate, sales, Glenys Hodgkinson, administration, and Neal Fraser, sales. Photo / Andrew Warner

A donation of timber and materials has helped the Tauranga Community Foodbank get up and running in its new building.

In October, the foodbank had to quickly vacate its Dive Cres building after testing revealed contamination from toxic black mould and asbestos.

It was moved to a Tauranga City Council-owned building on Brook St within a week of the discovery, which had no shelving to store food.

A request for shelving was made by the foodbank and Tauranga ITM came to the party, donating about $1800 worth of timber, plywood and other materials.

The foodbank is a local charity that helps people. At this time of year, it's pretty hard for everybody, the foodbank helps people to have a better Christmas.

Brent McDonald, Tauranga ITM manager

Tauranga ITM manager Brent McDonald said the company had been making annual monetary donations to the foodbank's Christmas appeal for years and was happy to be able to help out with shelving.

It donated $5000 last year and $3000 in 2013 and Mr McDonald said a similar contribution would be made this year.

"When it comes to Christmas, Maurice [Cowling, owner] goes and sees them and writes them a cheque.

"The foodbank is a local charity that helps people. At this time of year, it's pretty hard for everybody, the foodbank helps people to have a better Christmas."

Mr McDonald said in the 10 years he had been working for the company, Mr Cowling had donated to the foodbank every year and he had been doing it before that time as well.

"The staff all get behind it, it's about supporting some needy people. Everyone is always pretty happy about it.

"It's just that time of year when everyone is struggling buying presents and kids are off school for six weeks. It's a hard time, financially, for people."