Zizi Sparks: Christmas appeals making all the difference

The Xmas Grinch at Rotokawa School during Fill the Bus for Rotorua Salvation Army Foodbank. Photo / File

Boxing Day. Tummies will be full, and presents will be unwrapped.

For some it will be spent playing with toys, spending time with family. Others will head to the malls to take advantage of the Boxing Day Sales.

And thanks to local food banks, backed wholeheartedly by the community, many will spend it eating leftovers from Christmas Day.

The Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post have spent the last six-plus weeks asking for your help to support the Rotorua Salvation Army Foodbank and the Tauranga Community Foodbank.

And we've been blown away.

In the lead up to Christmas in Tauranga, the food bank was averaging 40 to 45 food parcels a day. In Rotorua there was joy and tears as Christmas hamper recipients collected their hampers last week.

Walking in the front door of the Rotorua Daily Post over the past few weeks all kinds of food and presents spill across the floor. It's the same in Tauranga.

Tauranga Community Foodbank's Friday volunteer team with some of the 2018 donations. Photo / File

There are Christmas cakes and mince pies. There are toys for all ages.

All these little things mean no one missed out.

I imagine there were some families dreading the Christmas period, wondering just how they might get through it and afford the food and gift others take for granted. Perhaps others have made every attempt to put a little bit aside each week in the lead up to Christmas to bring a little joy.

Now thanks to the hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have donated food and toys of every description, the holiday period is a little easier.

Those in need were given special Christmas hampers including Christmas treats and weekly essentials.

Toys donated throughout the appeals were also distributed and the appeal ensures the foodbank stays stocked all year round.

This year the Rotorua appeal attracted $64,145.20 worth of donations and the Bay of Plenty Times appeal attracted at least $153,961.40 to make a big difference.

It's a difference not just to those who receive help from local food banks at Christmas, but a difference felt all year round.