Tauranga Community Foodbank bracing for demands of winter season

Tauranga Community Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin. Photo / File

The Tauranga Community Foodbank is continuing to make a difference, helping 5123 people with food in the first quarter of this year (January to April).

This is equivalent to providing more than 61,000 meals.

Manager Nicki Goodwin said they always made sure they were well stocked, but were short on some items.

"Things we like to have on the shelves for winter include tinned soup or ingredients for people to make their own, like packet soups you can add seasonal vegetables to."

Items they didn't have at the moment included shampoo and conditioner.

"It's hard when people ask if we have can help with that and we don't have any either.

"If anyone feels like they want to donate to the foodbank, soups, soup ingredients and shampoo and conditioner would be a great help."

Goodwin said they were expecting to see demand pick up in June/July, when the winter bills started to come in or when bad weather affected seasonal work like kiwifruit picking.

She said demand had been about normal so far this year.

"We've seen things settle from Covid right now. Numbers are about the same as the year before, but that isn't a good thing because it's still reasonably high demand."

Goodwin said the foodbank had seen consistent growth in people trying to live on their own while also working, but the cost of living outstripping their single income.

It was also seeing a lot more families which were working but still in the situation of income not covering the basic necessities or the cost of living.

"It's heart-warming we can be here to help, because without support from the foodbank what would that mean for them?

"It would mean they have nothing on the table, and that's not okay when people are trying to do their best."

Tauranga Budget Advisory Services manager Shirley McCombe said this year they would deliver services to about 4500 people, which was 20 per cent above their target.

She said they were seeing more people in employment come to their service and a wider cross-section of the community.

"Many people just don't have enough for food after they have paid their rent.

"Demand for foodbank has increased dramatically. We see people with unpaid utility accounts and debts/loans that don't get repaid."

Tauranga Budget Advisory Services manager Shirley McCombe. Photo / Supplied

McCombe said accommodation was a huge expense for people, and the accommodation allowance was often not sufficient for people to stay above water.

"The other big issue is debt, people are drowning and struggle to find a way out.

"It would be fantastic if people would come and speak to us before they commit because there are other options."