Maryana Garcia: Being part of the Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal has been a gift

Rotorua Daily Post staff have been blown away by the support for the appeal. Pictured: NZME staff (clockwise from left) Laura Smith, Zizi Sparks, Felix Desmarais, Kim Gillespie, Shauni James and Maryana Garcia. Photo / Ben Fraser

OPINION:

You’ve done it again Rotorua. You’ve gone above and beyond to lend a hand to a whole bunch of people who needed it.

And this year, that need has been great. Fuel costs have been rising and the annual food price increase reached a 14-year high of 10.1 per cent.

The Salvation Army foodbank recorded an 89 per cent surge in demand for its support.

Then on November 12, the Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal put out its annual call for donations to the foodbank.

Six weeks, about 24 stories and $76,500 in donations later I think it’s safe to say Rotorua heard the call loud and clear.

The response has been greater than I can put into words. But I will try.

For the past month and a half, I have had a front-row seat as people, businesses, schools and groups showered the appeal with thoughtful gifts.

“Thoughtful” is the keyword in that sentence. It’s been inspirational.

Rotorua Primary School pupils hand over generous contributions to the Fill the Bus campaign. Photo / Mead Norton

Home-knitted clothing, pet food, sanitary items, soups, desserts and even a larger-than-average teddy bear: each of these items is proof of locals supporting locals, thinking of others’ needs and putting those needs ahead of their own.

Every day, I have witnessed people thinking about what they would like to receive in a Christmas hamper and then giving that thing to someone else, without any thought of reward or recognition.

Businesses such as Scope Cafe and Zorb have put people over profit, staff essentially donating their time to organise can-for-a-treat days which not only encouraged the community to give but also gave locals the chance to enjoy either a nice, hot coffee or a thrilling ride down the hill.

The Hits Fill the Bus campaign was one I will remember for the rest of my life. It was my first time to be present at each school, at the doors of businesses and in public carparks as people of all ages lined up with armfuls of canned goods and other treats.

With music, smiles and colourful costumes, the day felt like one big party of giving. It was hard to wipe the smile from my face, even as my feet ached from standing and my arms complained about loading donations onto the bus again and again.

Mamaku Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer Kirstin Johnston (left) and station chief John Roe. Photo / Maryana Garcia

Then just this week, Rotorua Trust announced a $10,000 donation to support the Salvation Army’s work. That was like the icing on the cake.

Of course, there were many more generous donors than can be mentioned in this piece but that’s the point.

When push comes to shove, when the going gets tough, Rotorua’s residents have proved they will stand with each other.

We are a community where firefighters will give up part of their weekend to walk down every street in town, collecting donations with a smile.

I was privileged to meet a former soldier turned bus driver who shared her story to give back to the foodbank that helped her when she needed it.

Volunteers from the foodbank shared their cheer, their hot sauce and their time with me. They even took turns getting into stifling costumes to make sure schoolkids didn’t miss out on seeing their favourite mascot.

Each person I’ve met as part of my work covering the appeal has been a gift, a gift who helped to restore my faith in humanity.

This Christmas, as I sit around tables with friends and family and the conversation turns to the predicted troubles of the new year, I will tell them the stories of the people I’ve met in the past six weeks.

With people like this in our community, I will say: bring on 2023.