Community Fruit Rotorua giving to community during lockdown

A basket of donated feijoas which were donated and dropped off to Mokoia Community Centre to be shared. Photo / Supplied

The lockdown due to Covid-19 has been a quieter one for a local charity group.

However, Community Fruit Rotorua has still been able to help make a difference, and is hoping a strong sense of community continues on after this pandemic.

Volunteer co-ordinator Sue White says the few loads of fruit that have come in for Community Fruit Rotorua during lockdown had been able to be collected at a distance, as people left them at the gate.

She says she has been able to drop off two loads of feijoas to the Mokoia Community Centre, which provides meals for people and food for Love Soup Rotorua.

Sue lives out in Eastside, so it was easy for her to drop the fruit off at the centre.

She was able to organise for a local group to pick up grapes from a woman's gate on the other side of town.

Sue had also been given some quinces, which she decided to give to one of Rotorua's local cafes.

"They seem to be struggling a lot as well. I gave two thirds of them to her and the other third to a lady involved in Community Kai."

"Around our neighbourhood I have certainly seen more people leaving out boxes of fruit for people to help themselves.

"And people do. They walk past and pick up half dozen. It would be nice to see more of that happening."

Sue says one great thing is that a lot of people are out and about walking, and walking past houses where fruit is available out the front could help people who are struggling financially at the moment, even just a little bit.

"If you don't have a feijoa tree and your neighbour's have them dropping on the ground it seems silly to go buying.

"It's a way to share with the community. It creates a strong sense of community, and it's a lovely gesture you can make.

"That's what I hope will come out of this whole Covid-19 thing, a much more generous spirit in our community."