"It's an outstanding effort from the public of Tauranga, notwithstanding the help from the Bay of Plenty Times. That's manna from heaven for us.
"Outstanding is really the only word. Phenomenal."
The donations would be used to keep the organisation running throughout the year, Mr Plunkett said.
"It's considerably more than last year, Our cash reserves are up. We can do more. We can look at expanding. It does take the pressure off the store looking empty."
The cash would be used to pay the bills and buy food they were short of as the donations were used up.
Mr Plunkett said the response had been consistent throughout the past four years with many of the same people continuing to give every year.
One of the most touching stories of the appeal had been the elderly lady with a walker who made a street collector wait four minutes while she went to get four cans from her pantry, he said. The effort was made worthwhile by the individual stories, he said.
"One lady with her two kids came in and gave about $150 worth of food and said, 'you helped me a couple of years ago'."
A look back over their records showed she had been in more than two dozen times during a four-year period.
"Now she's back on her feet. It's superb."
Mr Plunkett said the foodbank would continue running as long as there was a need for it.
"The demand is unquestionably there.
"The ideal is [for the foodbank] to be out of work but that's never going to happen."
During the four years the Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal has been running more than $314,000 has been raised for the foodbank.
