Kāpiti Community Foodbank appeals for more donations

Kāpiti Community Foodbank manager Jill Mason (left) with one of the foodbank's longest-serving volunteers, Pin.

The Kāpiti Community Foodbank has had a busy start to the year, and is now starting to run out of many of its staple food items.

Since the beginning of January, the foodbank has distributed 402 parcels to more than 1200 people in the community, many of that number families.

A parcel request may be for a single person, a sole parent with one child, or a multi-generational household with up to 12 mouths to feed.

“January is a really tough month for many families,” manager Jill Mason said.

“Parents have to budget for school uniforms and stationery, plus school holiday childcare if both parents work and have no family support locally.

“We also have grandparents caring for grandchildren, and often their pensions just don’t stretch far enough to cover everything. And all this so soon after the busy Christmas period.”

Items such as tinned spaghetti and tomatoes, pasta, flour, sugar, two-minute noodles, breakfast spreads, instant coffee, Milo, school lunchbox fillers and baby food are currently in short supply.

Non-food items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, sanitary products, soap, body wash, and shampoo and conditioner are also in short supply.

“With several months until our next food drive in May, we have real concerns that we may have to reduce quantities of some items or even remove them altogether from our parcels.

“All donations, however big or small, are very much appreciated.”

If you’re able to donate any of the above items, or anything else, you can drop them off at the donation bins at Pak’nSave Kāpiti, New World Kāpiti and Waikanae Countdown (now Woolworths), and The Warehouse Paraparaumu.

Alternatively, donations or excess homegrown produce can also be dropped off at the foodbank’s premises between 10am-12pm, Monday to Friday. They are located at 17 Hinemoa St, Paraparaumu.