Will Johnston: It takes all sorts, but most donate

Knocking on a stranger's door and asking for stuff, right on dinner time, could be seen as a little daunting. Not in the Bay it's not. I have bags of proof.

Classic Hits 95FM is a massive supporter of the Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal. For the last couple of years it's been supporting the Food Bank. Cash donations are awesome, but food is easier (to find/part with). It was a bit of an eye-opener as I carried my fabric Pams shopping bag round the streets of Cherrywood, on a random Wednesday evening.

Beginning point: Cherrywood Shops. In attendance: employees from the Bay of Plenty Times, including the editor (who said he just edits, yells, goes for lunch and attends functions). Goal: collect as many non-perishable food items as poss.

First door: white, yappy little excuse-fora-dog. Old lady in a robe, just out of the shower (bad mental image). Four cans.

Second door: Dad-type, just home from work, looks annoyed (disapproving dad-look we all know so well), asks for ID (seriously, I'm wearing a Classic Hits t-shirt, not exactly incognito) . . . two cans.

Third door: Cop. He said "we've met before". I panicked. Is this really when a few boozy nights in my past are going to catch up with me? Apparently not (clean criminal record lives another day). We'd met at another charity thing. Three cans and some pasta.

It went on and on through the streets of Cherrywood. Some had nothing to give, you could just tell. Others had nothing to give but found something, no matter how small. More still gave three or four cans. One lady had just got home from the supermarket and literally put a bag of cans she'd bought straight in to my bag, from the boot of her car! How cool is that?!

There were a couple of naysayers; "those people who get the food are on the bloody benefit anyway, I'm already paying for them". I hope Santa was listening to that particular gentleman. Naughty list and a Christmas clip over the ear? Too far? But even he, in the end, gave me a can. I told him that it doesn't matter what the situation, hungry kids are hungry kids. It's not their fault there's no food. Even he couldn't argue with that.

The best excuse I got, and one of the only people who didn't give anything, was a guy in a massive and beautiful house, with a Merc on the lawn, huge telly in the lounge and a wife dripping in diamonds. He said (get this); "My wife and I buy a lottery ticket every week as a fair way to donate to all charities. We just let the lotteries commission sort who gets our money." I laughed. I seriously thought he was joking. Until he shut the door. I remembered something my uncle once said to me about the rich being rich because they are tight! I know that's totally not true in most cases, except this one! Even the stingy lotto guy couldn't dampen my charity buzz though.

We ended up with a van full of cans from about eight streets! Well done, Cherrywood and well done you, if you're giving this season. It feels great huh!

(Will Johnston is the host of Will and Bridget in the Morning-Classic Hits 95FM Breakfast Show in the Bay of Plenty. Listen every weekday from 6-9 am)