The Port of Tauranga has donated $15,000 to the foodbank to help people in need.
It has been the port’s Christmas tradition to donate to local charities for 14 years and it has pushed the total amount of its cash donations to $155,441.
It comes as The Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal for the Tauranga Community Foodbank is nearing the end of its last week.
Other big-ticket donations this year include $20,000 from the Hillsdene Charitable Trust, $10,000 from Synergy Technologies.
This year, the port also donated $5000 to Homes of Hope, a charity providing fostercare for local children who have experienced trauma, and Project Jonah, an organisation that assists with rescues and promotes the protection of whales and dolphins.
The port also planned to donate 100 per cent of the ticket price from the summer port tours to the Waipuna Hospice, starting early next year.
The port also wanted to donate to the foodbank throughout the year when it needed it, similar to the $25,000 donation during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.
Port of Tauranga chief executive Leonard Sampson said it was “great to help such a worthy cause”.
“We understand it’s a challenging time for everyone with the cost-of-living crisis so whatever we can do to help.”
He said the tradition of giving during Christmas began 14 years ago after a port customer had a factory fire.
“We donated the money earmarked for client gifts to the factory workers’ welfare fund instead,” Sampson said.
The donation equates to “at least a few weeks of food” and Sampson said it was good it was not going to “an unknown, faceless charity”.
Foodbank chairman Simon Beaton said large donations, like that given by the port, were essential to the running of the foodbank.
“Many other foodbanks across the country are in dire straits with their supply level but we’re not because we have such a generous donor base here,” Beaton said.
He said the cash donations were especially valuable as the foodbank used the money to buy staple foods.
Food donations were also appreciated but filled a different demand, giving foodbank clients treats and luxuries the foodbank could not afford to provide.
Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said she was very grateful for the port’s support and it was always a pleasure having them visit and see how the donation was used.
“Their donation goes a long way towards purchasing great food into the new year,” Goodwin said.
Harriet Laughton is a multi-media journalist based in the Bay of Plenty.
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