Demand for food parcels matches surge in donations

Louisa Humphrey at the Hamilton Combined Christian Foodbank organises parcels of donated food to be given out. Photo / Christine Cornege

Hamilton foodbanks are receiving plenty of donations in the spirit of the festive Christmas season but queues for food parcels just keep growing.

Christine Wright, manager of the Crosslight Trust, part of the Hamilton Combined Christian Foodbank, said the Christmas season usually prompted a surge in donors giving food and money.

But this year that was matched by a growing demand for food parcels which was at its highest peak in years.

By the end of September, the foodbank had experienced a 49 per cent spike in clients needing food parcels.

And when the year ends, the eight Hamilton churches that make up the organisation will have provided 700 parcels more than they did last year.

"The demand just keeps going up because food is just so expensive and it's hard for people on the minimum wage or low incomes to get by," Ms Wright said.

"We thought 2010 was a busy year but it is much busier this year - the cost of food items is just horrendous."

She said that as at October 31, the centre had distributed the same number of food parcels as it had for the whole of last year - more than 3000 packages.

The foodbank was trying to give chocolates and other treats in their food parcels to make Christmas more enjoyable for families who couldn't afford to buy ham or turkey, she said.

"Most people are buying mince or sausages because they can't afford to buy lamb for their family.

"This is not just beneficiaries but it's the working poor that we have. The minimum wage doesn't allow people to have much in the way of groceries."

Ms Wright said the foodbank would be grateful for more donations, particularly of non-perishable items, milk powder and cereals.

Meanwhile, the Hamilton Salvation Army is getting its Christmas menu ready for the 150 people expected through its doors on Sunday.

These people have already booked their places paying a gold coin donation and there is no room left.

This year's lunch menu is under wraps but previous affairs have involved lashings of roast turkey, vegetables and steamed puddings for dessert.

Cairine Barton, the social work team leader at the Hamilton Salvation Army, said its foodbank was well supported at Christmas.

The foodbank had distributed more than 1600 parcels this year but its busiest months were ahead of them with many families likely to approach them "in crisis" after Christmas and New Year.

The Salvation Army was also seeking further food donations.

"A lot of people have an increased debt load and people are finding it hard to find employment," she said.

"Stress levels are through the roof with some people ... so anything that comes into our foodbanks just kind of gets stockpiled for this time."

Ms Barton said more than 50 Hamilton families had joined its adopt-a-family scheme where they sponsor another family and provide them with food and presents for Christmas.

She said families would be able to pick up their Christmas parcels from today.

"It's an amazing thing to see that people will provide a family with everything they need for lunch and sometimes they will support them throughout the year."

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