Te Puke foodbank stocked up for Christmas after annual emergency services drive

Jazmeen (front) and Xeva Kaur waiting for the collectors to arrive.

Every year, the Te Puke community comes to the pre-Christmas party, digs deep and helps stock up the town’s foodbank.

The annual Te Puke Emergency Services food drive took place last Thursday evening and, as always, the response was amazing, says foodbank co-ordinator Clare Cooper.

The foodbank is one of the services run by The Hub Te Puke in Jocelyn St, which is where the donations were taken at the end of the drive.

“We should be really proud of our community, we really should,” says Clare.

Te Puke Emergency Services Food Drive. The end of the evening team photo. Photo / Supplied

Staff from the police, Hato Hone St John, Ministry for Primary Industries, Te Puke volunteer firefighters, community patrol volunteers and students from the Graeme Dingle Foundation’s Project K at Te Puke High School, all took part.

“To begin with it was pouring with rain and the people were still out there giving and the volunteers were still out there - we’re pretty blessed.”

Clare says the current economic situation makes the success of the collection even more special.

Jack Barrett and Te Ariki Ranga-Pokere Ball handing over their donations to Te Puke Volunteer Fire Brigade cadet Cooper Purdie.

“Considering times are really tough, I think what’s been given is incredible.”

While it is too early to give an accurate assessment of exactly how much was collected, the foodbank is now in a good position heading into the busy Christmas period.

“There shouldn’t be anybody in this community at Christmas who isn’t looked after, and that includes the cats and dogs. And we’ve even got a bag of chicken feed.”

The system the foodbank uses ensures food parcels contain what is specifically needed, so cat, dog and chicken food - and things like nappies that were also donated - end up where they are required.

Scarlett Leader was excited to see the fire engine and firefighters after giving her donation to firefighter Campbell Wood.

“A lot of people have really thought about what they are giving.”

Food parcels will be distributed in the two weeks leading up to Christmas.

“We’ve already got 150 booked.”

The Davis family - Jesse and Harper (front) Jayden and Pip, ready to donate.

Clare says she thinks there were more people helping with this year’s collection, despite the rain.

“It just didn’t deter people. We joke about it every year, that we seem to manage to dodge a bullet, and this year that was it - by the time they set off it had pretty much stopped.”