Foodbank ready to restock shelves
Ha¯wera Foodbank volunteer Barbara Hurcomb is looking forward to restocking the shelves after a tough year.
‘‘We’re a bit skinny on the shelves now. Because of Covid, there are more people looking for help,’’ she said.
‘‘We’re just after general groceries, basic groceries. All the tins and packets, breakfast food, tins of fruit, tea, coffee, flour and noodles – anything that they’d like to give. It’s all much appreciated.’’
Christmas goodies were also welcome.
‘‘We give them a few extras in the week before Christmas,’’ she said.
The annual collection for most foodbanks around Taranaki is on
December 7, in Ha¯wera, New Plymouth, Eltham, Stratford and Inglewood.
In Ha¯wera, the Matapu Scouts and members of the Ha¯wera Volunteer Fire Brigade will be out collecting food from people’s letterboxes from 5pm.
Hurcomb said the Ha¯wera Foodbank was handing out about 20 food parcels each week. ‘‘There are a lot of people out there who are hurting.’’
Sometimes, she gets a call from the police or the hospital about people in need.
‘‘If there’s someone going home who lives alone, and they have nothing,’’ she said.
‘‘There are a lot of people who have come back to Ha¯wera. They thought it would be easy to get a house but there are no houses here, and they don’t know anyone, so what do they do?’’
Waitara’s annual food collection is on December 6, from 2.30pm, while Opunake’s food drive is on November 30.