Food bags on way to struggling families
Hundreds of bags of food are ready to be given to Tokoroa families struggling with everything from Covid to increasing fuel and food prices.
More than $16,000 worth of food was donated to five South Waikato social welfare organisations through the South Waikato’s Family 2 Family initiative, which is supported by New World Tokoroa and the Tokoroa Host Lions Club.
This year they managed to collect a total of 835 bags of food, 95 of those coming directly from New World customers, with the rest coming from donations by the Tokoroa Host Lions Club and New World Tokoroa.
Host Lions treasurer Phil Shattock said the club’s $6000 donation was matched by New World Tokoroa owner Viv Smith and topped up by donations from customers.
‘‘A lot of people are struggling in Tokoroa and some are getting quite desperate, so if we can make a difference then that’s great.’’
Shattock said in the past year the club had raised around $95,000 for a wide range of community organisations, including a $10,000 donation to the Tongan volcano relief fund.
The total value of food donated came in at $16,700 and was spread across five local community groups – The Salvation Army, Tokoroa Council of Social Services, Raukawa Charitable Trust, Tokoroa Foodbank and the South Waikato Pacific Island Community Trust.
Captain Saimone Gataurua of the Tokoroa Salvation Army said the donation was timely and helped them ‘‘reach out to people in our community who are still facing difficulties during these uncertain times’’.
Tokoroa Council of Social Services general manager Josiah Teokotai said the initiative helped them support their goal of providing kai to vulnerable families in the South Waikato.
South Walkato Pacific Islands Community Services Trust chief executive Akarere Henry said the donation had helped ease the burden on families facing challenges brought on by Covid, flu, and also increasing fuel and food prices.