Te Puke steps up for foodbank appeal

Jayde Moir from Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade collects a donation from Hunter Pelham and Suntana De Thierry.

“Wow, Te Puke - you’ve done it again.”

That was the reaction of Te Puke foodbank manager Clare Cooper after last Thursday’s emergency services food drive in the town.

“We are just blessed, blessed, blessed - it was an amazing turnout.

The three emergency services - fire, ambulance and police - were out in force collecting, joined by staff from the Ministry for Primary Industries and community patrol volunteers, with Te Puke High School students working towards their Duke of Edinburgh award and students on the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Project K programme.

“There was an amazing turnout from our emergency services and I was really impressed by the number of young people that came to help out this year,” says Clare.

The foodbank is now well stocked ahead of the busy pre-and post-Christmas period.

“[The collection] pretty much matched last year which, considering how hard things are for people, is just phenomenal.”

The collectors at the end of the evening. Photo / Luke Edwards

“All the tables were full, and underneath the tables. The last truck didn’t get in till half past eight and they covered such a big area this year.”

Clare says the amount collected means the foodbank can continue to do what it needs to do.

“We did 22 food parcels on Friday and, to sustain that level, [the collection] just gives us a bit more of a buffer to be able to cope with the increase.”

A call for specific items that went out before the collection was heeded.

“We got lots of the things we asked for.”

With December a productive month in the vege garden, any excess would be gratefully accepted at the foodbank so fresh produce can be added to food parcels.

“Our community’s such a neat community - even when things have been getting so tight for people, the level of giving hasn’t dropped at all.”