Whitianga foodbank service emptied daily as demand soars

One of the Coromandel’s main foodbank services is running out of stock daily as demand ahead of Christmas soars. 

Whitianga Community Services Trust manager Tony Marsters highlighted concerns at the increased demand at this month’s Mercury Bay Community Board meeting. 

Marsters told the Board the trust’s foodbank service was being emptied of its stock daily. 

In August, there had been a spike in demand which tailed off. Now, however, demand has “skyrocketed”, he said. 

Marsters said harvesting fresh produce from their garden helped, as did donations from the local supermarkets and the fire brigade. But he was concerned for the foodbank’s sustainability amid such extreme demand, especially as the service had its funding cut, he said. 

The trust was relying on its reserves to get through and it was not able to advertise its need for donations, other than on its website and social media channels, he said. 

Marsters referred to neighbouring foodbank services that had closed, including some now asking the trust for help. 

“We physically don’t have the means or funds to help,” he said. 

Martsters also referred to South Auckland’s Butterbean Motivation Foodbank which founder Dave Letele closed in October due to unsustainable running costs. 

The news prompted more than $100,000 to be raised to help keep the service open until Christmas. 

Letele’s foodbank feeds 100 to 200 families a week. 

The Board is asking anyone who is able to donate what they can to their local foodbank. 

There are four main foodbank services in the Coromandel, all of which rely on donations from members of the public and businesses. People can help by donating non-expired and unopened food items at any of the organisations listed below. 

Coromandel Independent Living Trust 
150 Pound Street, Coromandel Town, 9am – 3pm weekdays 
Anything and everything is appreciated 

Living Well Trust in Thames 
305 Mary Street, Thames, 9am – 12pm, Monday – Thursday 
Cash, cans, packaged food, non-perishables, anything that can be frozen, limited capacity for fresh vegetables. 
*Closed from 19 December, call in advance to donate after this date 

Eastern Coromandel Community Services 
505 Port Road, Whangamatā or via collection bin at Whangamatā New World, 9am – 3pm Monday and Friday, 9am – 4.30pm Tuesday and Thursday 
Dry goods, meat – anything that can be frozen, dairy products, fresh produce. 
*Closed from 21 December to 12 January 

Whitianga Community Services Trust
2 Cook Drive, Whitianga, 9am – 3.30pm weekdays 
Anything unopened and within use-by dates but no homemade food please.