Christmas appeal tops $83,000

WRAPPING UP: Tauranga Community Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin, chairman Alan Plunkett and Bay of Plenty Times editor Scott Inglis celebrate the success of the year's Christmas appeal. PHOTO/JOHN BORREN

More than $83,000 has been raised for the Tauranga Community Foodbank through the 2014 Bay of Plenty Times Christmas appeal, bringing the total raised during the past four years to more than $289,000.

The appeal officially ended yesterday but the final count will not come until mid-January, to account for any last-minute donations. By the end of yesterday, the foodbank had received $45,035.05 in cash and 19,127 items of food, valued at $2 each.

Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said she was "absolutely blown away" by the support that had come in during the appeal.

"The support from the community, from businesses, from other charities, from individuals and from families has just been intense," she said.

"It's so amazing. It's so exciting."

The huge number of donations meant that from December 10 everyone who received a food parcel from the charity was also given a Christmas parcel with sweet and savoury goodies and treats for the children, Ms Goodwin said. The generosity of the Tauranga community would continue to be seen into next year.

"The cash donations are going to go a long, long way. It's going to keep us going, hopefully for the majority of the year. It will allow us to look at what we're putting in the food parcels and hopefully make them better."

Chairman Alan Plunkett was equally impressed by the community's support.

"It's been a wonderful campaign. We've had people coming in from everywhere. We've had kids coming in, we've had Cubs groups. It's been better than anything I've ever experienced," he said.

"Ho ho ho and a very merry Christmas, because it's just been bloody wonderful."

Bay of Plenty Times editor Scott Inglis was staggered to see this year's provisional appeal total reach $83,000 and thanked everyone who had donated.

"The huge support from businesses and individuals throughout the city has been overwhelming," he said.

"It's heart-warming to be able to support the foodbank and make a difference to the lives of the many families who found themselves struggling."

Last-minute donations came in the week from Mossop's Honey, which donated $1725 cash on Thursday night and agreed to donate their honey seconds to be given out in food parcels, while the Rotary Club of Tauranga collected four boxes of food and $1000 cash for the appeal.

Taylor Bros Transport also donated $1000 and Brookfield Kindergarten gathered five bags of food.