Christmas Appeal: Port of Tauranga donates $10,000 to foodbank

For the 12th year at Christmas, the Port of Tauranga has given the gift of food security with a $10,000 donation.

The Bay of Plenty Times' six-week Christmas Appeal for the Tauranga Community Foodbank has one week to go.

This year, the port donated $10,000 to the appeal as well as $5000 to Parkinson's NZ in honour of one of its team members.

As well as the annual contributions at Christmas for the past 12 years, the port also donated several times when the community needed it, like the $25,000 donation during the first Covid-19 lockdown last year.

"It's a cause that is strongly supported by our people, and our team members also collect food and household items to contribute to the appeal," chief executive Leonard Sampson said.

"Our people want to offer their support to the many vulnerable families in our community that find this time of year particularly tough."

The tradition of giving began "many years ago" after one of the port's customers experienced a factory fire.

Port of Tauranga chief executive Leonard Sampson hands over a donation of $10,000 to Tauranga Community Foodbank chairman Larry Bilodeau. Photo / George Novak

"Instead of giving Christmas gifts to clients that year, the company decided to donate to a welfare fund for the factory workers," he said.

The tradition of giving has continued ever since.

Sampson said the pandemic had put a big strain on all parts of the community and for many, made it impossible to make ends meet.

"We hope our donation can go a little way to giving them support this Christmas."

Tauranga Community Foodbank chairman Larry Bilodeau said it was a "fantastic" donation that would help with the "surprisingly" high demand for parcels.

This year, in particular, the donations would help the foodbank cope with the demand, with many coming from people in isolation.

"The port has been so supportive of the foodbank over the years."

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