Big boost for town foodbank

LARGE DONATION: Masterton Rotary president Alan Kirkham and director of new generation Val Ball give two baskets of food to the Masterton Foodbank. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

With a 60 per cent rise in people seeking help, the Masterton Foodbank's shelves have slowly been depleted of supplies.

As a result Masterton Rotary Club has given the foodbank two baskets full of food and pledged $100 monthly to help keep stores full.

Masterton Rotary president Alan Kirkham said the food and money was raised through the local club's fundraising projects.

"We try to get involved in community projects."

The service the foodbank provided was vital, Mr Kirkham said.

"Things are getting tougher and tougher for families and we wanted to support our community ... it's a very sad thing we have people struggling. It's a world of two halves. There is a huge gap in our community."

Masterton Foodbank co-ordinator Maureen Potts said last year they had spent $27,000 buying in food to support struggling families.

They normally handled between 125 and 130 food parcels monthly but in recent months that had risen to about 200.

"A lot of people are self referring ... people just don't have enough income. Everything has gone on bills. Most of them are embarrassed to ask because it's not easy to ask for food. Everybody that has come in has found it difficult."

The pantry was now looking rather bare, Mrs Potts said.

But they were hanging out for the annual town-wide collection put on by local emergency service groups that will be held on November 30. "We are quite low at the moment."

The Wairarapa combined church foodbank relied on the community to help out by giving donations of both food and money, she said.

"It's just so hard for everyone at the moment. It is only basics we give people - enough to get them through a couple of days. It's just so tough for people ... we are given a lot of vegetables when gardens are flourishing. We buy in sausages and eggs."

Part of the problem was, there is a generation of people coming through who didn't know how to cook basic meals, Mrs Potts said. "Fast food is easier for them."

Meanwhile, staff are grateful for the Rotary donation.

"It's just wonderful. It will help so many families."