Christmas Appeal: Tremains campaign raises nearly $20k for foodbank

Real estate company Tremains has donated nearly $20,000 to the Tauranga Community Foodbank through its Selling Houses for Food initiative.

That includes a $5000 donation made during the fifth week of the Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal for the foodbank.

The company’s ongoing campaign has donated $500 for every house sold that was listed between August and October in the Bay of Plenty.

Tremains sales consultant Nick Drysdale said when the initiative was announced everyone was excited about it.

“One of the biggest things for us is changing the conversation around the dinner table from, ‘Are we having dinner tonight?’, to, ‘What are we having for dinner tonight?’

“I think it’s important to us because it’s such a simple thing – having dinner – we potentially take it for granted, whereas for some people it’s not the same.”

He said when the Tremains team gets behind something, they “really get behind it” and it was nice to be giving back without expecting anything in return.

“It should be a right rather than a privilege to have good quality food.

“I think there’s a lot of people we can help and support and sometimes just that little bit extra goes a long way,” Drysdale said.

Lisa Swney, Nicki Goodwin and Nick Drysdale at the Tauranga Community Foodbank.

The initiative has seen a total of $19,500 in donations to the foodbank.

Lisa Swney, also a sales consultant at Tremains, said for every $500, 50% came from the agent and the other 50% came from Tremains.

“It’s nice to have it all focused and funnelled into a local community charity that we know appreciates our help, especially at a time like Christmas.

“It’s been a really tough year with the cost of living and food prices going up, so it’s meaningful to know the money is going back into the community where it’s needed most.”

Swney said the initiative was also spreading awareness of the increased need for the foodbank.

“Our vendors might not have necessarily known about the foodbank and how dire it is for a lot of people in the community.

“I think we’ve all got a responsibility to help people out and some people fall on hard times but it feels good to do something that’s meaningful and making a difference.”

Nicki Goodwin, general manager at Tauranga Community Foodbank, said she believed support from organisations such as Tremains was the way forward.

Nicki Goodwin, Tauranga Community Foodbank general manager, says it's a privilege to be supported by a company such as Tremains Real Estate. Photo / Alex Cairns

“If we [businesses, individuals, community organisations] are working together to help people who are having a tough time, then the whole community benefits.

“Helping people out of hardship enables them to rejoin the community as a contributor, it’s a wonderful circle.”

Goodwin said the financial support from Tremains not only helped the foodbank buy great food now but also into the New Year, when the need in the community continued.

“It’s just such a privilege to be supported by a company such as Tremains Real Estate.

“They are so supportive of our purpose and it’s been a pleasure to work alongside them,” Goodwin said.

Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.