Shoppers open hearts for needy

Salvation Army minister Lieutenant Daryn Bishop, left, receives donated goods from Countdown Masterton service and administration manager Julie Wall and store manager Adam Hall. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Shoppers at Masterton's Countdown punched well above their weight in the chain store's yearly Food Rescue Appeal over the Christmas break.

All 183 Countdown stores in the country took part in the Salvation Army foodbank collection, with Masterton collecting the fourth largest amount of donations, filling nine trolleys.

Adam Hall, who has been the store manager for two months, said he could not believe the amount of goods that the community had donated.

"I've never experienced anything like this," he said.

"I used to manage the Lower Hutt Countdown, one of the bigger stores in Wellington, and they would only get three or four trolleys.

"It's just fantastic what this community has done. I can't believe it."

Mr Hall said he looks forward to working with the Wairarapa community in building relationships between Countdown and organisations like the Salvation Army.

"It's a real community-type store here, so if something is going on in the community what I've found is that everyone gets in behind it.

"In an area like Wairarapa you can be relatively isolated, but if everyone works together, then things tend to go pretty well."

Masterton's Salvation Army minister Lieutenant Daryn Bishop said there were more donations this year than any other year in the Christmas appeal.