High hopes for another successful food bank drive

Wednesday, 29 November 2017

Southland Food Bank stocks will receive a boost when 100 volunteers hit the streets of Invercargill collecting non perishable goods from householders on December 7.

Goods collected in previous food bank drives had annually generated six months' supply, the food bank's store co-ordinator Ron Maynard said.

Demand for food parcels is growing and most days, five are dispatched to needy. 

Maynard said donated money had been a great help to buy goods to keep stock levels up.  

'The last four months we've bought in $18,000 worth [of goods].'

Harcourts co-ordinates the food bank drive and is supported by New Zealand Police, St John, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Red Cross, Westpac, More FM and Creation Signs. Staff from those businesses and organisations will collect non-perishable food items – to be seen easily by mail boxes – between 6pm and 8pm on December 7.

Items collected are stored overnight at Harcourts and taken to the food bank the next day.

Harcourts Invercargill manager Wayne Ellis said eight good-sized trailer-loads of goods had been taken to the food bank in each of the past two years. 

This is the third year Harcourts has co-ordinated the food bank drive. Staff member, Sean Bellew, came up with the idea seven years ago when working for Southern Wide Real Estate.

'I thought, let's do something for the food bank … they'll be under pressure at Christmas and it'll be good for the community,' Bellew said.

Most noticeable to Ellis in past years, has been that children know the importance of the event.

'The kids are excited when we travel around. Everyone can see it's a great cause.'

People who will be away or forget to leave goods out on December 7 can take their donations to Harcourts.

'As long as it [goods] hasn't been used, we'll accept it,' Ellis said.