Shauni James: Massive thank you to Rotorua community for appeal support

There was excitement from children at Otonga Road Primary School when Fill the Bus arrived. Photo / Shauni James

It's been another tough year, but finishing off 2021 with the Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal has been heartwarming and a special way to wrap up the year.

A big thank you to everyone who has helped with and contributed to the appeal for the local Salvation Army Foodbank in some way over the last few weeks.

There has been so many items donated, from tinned food to nappies, cereal to pasta, treats to toys, and so much more in between.

Despite it being a hard year where many are struggling due to Covid challenges, the generosity has still been shining through.

It was humbling to see donations fill up our reception area as people brought in items to help those in need and spread some Christmas cheer.

I absolutely love how our Rotorua community is always happy to come together to make a difference.

And it really does make a difference.

A couple of the big highlights for me throughout this year's appeal included The Hits Fill the Bus and getting to spend some time volunteering at the foodbank.

Fill the Bus is always an exciting day, and it was an absolute blast spending most of the day on the bus and seeing so many people get behind the cause.

The kids at all the different schools and stops had huge smiles on their faces and were excited to see the donations being loaded on.

And that bus certainly was loaded by the end of the day!

It was an atmosphere like no other, and a massive thank you again to everyone who was out at the stops on the day and helped to make it such a success.

I also really enjoyed spending a few hours volunteering at the foodbank.

Reporter Shauni James enjoyed helping out at the Rotorua Salvation Army Foodbank. Photo / Supplied

It was such a fulfilling feeling to know that you were contributing to making someone's day or week just that little bit easier, as no one should have to go hungry.

It was also a great reminder that spending money or donating items is not the only way we can assist the likes of the Salvation Army Foodbank, but giving a bit of our time can be a great help as well.

During the appeal we also got to find out what was included in food parcels, gain ideas on how to celebrate Christmas on a budget, and hear Ralph and Kylie's highlights looking back on past appeals before they make the move to Tauranga for next year.

It's certainly been a busy and rewarding few weeks.

So, a big thank you once again to our amazing community which has rallied together to make a difference.

We hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.