Food donations worth about $3600 as appeal hits top gear
An estimated 1440 items valued at more than $3600 have been donated to Rotorua’s foodbank as the Rotorua Daily Post’s Christmas Appeal reaches its halfway mark.
The Christmas Appeal, in combination with the Rotorua Weekender and The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM, is raising food and money for the foodbank to help it feed those in need this Christmas and beyond.
This year’s appeal runs until Friday, December 23.
Rotorua Salvation Army Corps officer Hana Seddon said so far there had been about 1100 items of food donated, plus 340 items from Mamaku Volunteer Fire Brigade’s food drive. With a $2.50 value assigned to each item — up from $2 last year due to the rising cost of living — this amounted to about $3600 worth of donations.
The Rotorua community has rallied in many ways over the past three weeks to gather donations for the appeal.
Examples include the Ngongotaha¯ Medical Centre collecting items, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology barista students’ Cans for a Coffee event, and Mamaku locals donating 340 cans after the fire brigade food drive.
And the appeal action is not slowing down, with many other initiatives in the works over the next three weeks.
This year’s The Hits Fill the Bus event will take place on Wednesday, with a bus rumbling around the city so people can fill it with canned and non-perishable goods.
Schools, ECES, businesses and public stops will be visited by the team to pick up donations.
Last year, the community donated 6597 cans and food items valued at $13,194 through the Fill the Bus campaign.
Also on Wednesday, coffee and donations are promised to pour in at Rotorua’s Scope Cafe as patrons are encouraged to get behind Coffee for a Can Day.
The cafe will be supporting the appeal by rewarding generous customers with a free coffee.
More information about Scope’s Can for a Coffee Day will be available on the cafe’s website and social media channels.
The community can also get donations rolling in when Zorb Rotorua holds its annual Can Day on next Sunday.
On Can Day, people with proof of a Rotorua address will be able to score a maximum of two free rides per person.
More details about Zorb’s Can Day will be available on their website. Bookings are essential.
Latest figures show that within the first 10 months of this year, the Salvation Army provided kai to the value of $87,000 to those in need compared with $46,000 in 2019 before Covid — a rise of about 89
its per cent.
Rotorua Daily Post editor Scott Inglis said the Christmas tree in the Daily Post office had continued to be surrounded by generous donations.
“The first half of this year’s appeal has flown by quickly, and we greatly appreciate all the donations so far.
“With a number of upcoming events and donations scheduled, we can’t wait to see what else the generous Rotorua community gives during these next three weeks.”
Last year, $65,792.10 was raised for the foodbank through cash and food donations. This year’s appeal as many are struggling with the cost-of- living crisis.
While donations of food and money for the foodbank are welcomed, anyone struggling to help in this way can also consider donating their time.