Tauranga Foodbank is a 'Godsend'

HAND-UP: The Tauranga Foodbank has given out about 5,500 food parcels this year which was on par with 2014 figures.PICTURE POSED

A Bay woman who has received help from the Tauranga Community Foodbank says there were days when she felt like crawling into the wardrobe and not coming out.

The mother, who asked not be named, said "Do I feel down at times? Yes, I do but you have to carry on."

Making ends meet was a daily struggle and living on a benefit was tough work which often caused financial stress, she said.

"It's hard out there and you have to make decisions on a daily basis."

It was a juggling act and often other necessities went by the wayside, including doctor visits, she said.

"You need to get to the doctors but you think 'no, I need to buy food for the house'. You actually forget about a lot of things because I'd rather put myself aside."

Raising a family on a low income, she had learned to take advantage of the free activities in life - her children knew Christmas was about love not gifts.

"It's one of these things at this time of the year, you have to look happy and be happy for the kids. Even if you are not you have to show them that, you need to put a smile on your face and not let them think there is no Santa."

She also planned to make the most of what Tauranga had to offer over the holidays.

"I will put petrol in the car and take them to the beach to have some fun."

Small amounts of money put aside during the year was usually gobbled up by other emergencies, she said.

"A school trip will come up and you use it or something else will pop up."

The Tauranga Foodbank was a hand up, she said, and a Godsend, which she had used when there was no other alternative.

There was no shame in seeking help although asking for assistance herself proved to be difficult "but I had to put my kids first".

She had nothing but gratitude for the people who worked there..

"I'd like to say thanks a million for helping each and every one of us and for being there. The people that work there and the volunteers are doing an awesome job.

"I think they are all fantastic."

Getting a food parcel allowed people to get back on their feet and the foodbank offered help to ensure they did not become reliant on the service.

She also wanted to acknowledge the people who donated to the foodbank. One day she hoped to give back as a volunteer and was already doing some community work, she said.

Tauranga Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said the foodbank was there to help in emergencies and unexpected situations.

It worked with 70 referral agencies throughout the community and people could access the service up to three times a year, she said.

"People are referred to us by an agency but if they phone us we will steer them in the right direction."

The foodbank's Facebook page was another port of call, she said.

"It's a good way of connecting as it is not restricted to office hours and we have all our relevant information on there."

The foodbank had put together about 5,500 food parcels, which was on par with 2014 figures, she said.

Unfortunately there was still a perception that the foodbank was only there for beneficiaries, she said, but "we help people from all walks of life regardless of their income".

It networked with budget advisers and "we actually want to make things better for people rather than just being a Band-aid for a week".

-As of yesterday, the Bay of Plenty Times 2015 Christmas Appeal had raised $49,047.13 in cash and food items for the Tauranga Foodbank.