'It's overwhelming' - huge scale of giving in response to food drive

Despite facing some overwhelming hardship this year, the New Plymouth Food Bank has just had one of its most successful nights of food donation.

Hundreds of people turned up to their letterboxes armed with cans and packets from their kitchens as part of the charity’s annual food drive event.

A fleet of trucks made its way around the city in the hope of restocking the food bank. But with the cost of living crisis hitting hard, organisers were not expecting to be so wowed.

“People are really struggling," said New Plymouth Community Food Bank manager Sharon Wills. "It's not people just on benefits. It’s people who own their own homes, people on NZ Super.

"We get small business owners who say, ‘I’ve paid the bills and paid the staff, I couldn’t afford to pay me this week. To keep the business afloat we’ll do it this way'."

Wills said the food bank has helped school teachers and office workers this year, as well as beneficiaries.

"It’s anyone and everyone. It could be your neighbour, it could be your mothers, your sister, your brother."

The food bank collects unsold bread from supermarkets and accepts donations from the public, such as the family-sized quiches made each week by one regular supporter. But many shelves remain empty.

"Stock levels are really low, we’ve had to buy food in a lot earlier this year. Usually, the food collected on the food drive lasts us through to September or October. But with demand so high, I had to start buying in food in August," said Wills.

The food drive has been an annual fixture in New Plymouth for around 35 years.

“We've got 20 areas, 20 teams, 20 trucks, 20 police cars or other emergency vehicles making a lot of noise and the community will come out with their food.”

As they wound their way through the streets, families — alerted by the sirens — ventured out of their homes, many children wearing pyjamas. Some offered a single can, others whole boxes of items gathered from their pantry.

David Petersen drove one of the trucks and said the generosity was mind-blowing.

”It seems to be the lower decile areas give a lot more than the higher decile areas. I guess because they've been in that boat themselves possibly. They know what that's like," he reflected.

Walking alongside his truck, a group of volunteers accepted the donations and stowed them in the vehicle. Three helpers inside the truck sorted the items as they came in.

Regular volunteer Claire Bolger collected alongside her son.

"I'm a social worker and I frequently have to access the food bank for vulnerable clients."

It's the seventh year Melanie Bielawski has helped out.

"I grew up in a part of New Plymouth where our neighbours didn't have a lot. It's really important to me that people have food security," she said.

"Plus, people are smiling and happy and giving — it's great."

It was a scene repeated across the city, and morning revealed the huge scale of giving.

Organisers used TSB stadium to sort the donations, and the floor was covered with hundreds of boxes of canned goods, rice, pasta, toiletries, nappies, cleaning products and even Christmas treats.

The last team to come in on the night had walked 12km alongside their full truck, "blowing a bit of smoke trying to get up the hill,” remarked Peterson.

"Until you're a part of it, you don't realise how generous people are."

Volunteer Lisa Paora agreed.

"This seems to be massive, more so than normal."

Waiting to unload the trucks in the dark were boarders from New Plymouth Boys High School. In the morning, students from Sacred Heart Girls College joined in, helping dozens of fresh volunteers with sorting.

Wills said she's blown away by people's generosity in a particularly difficult year for so many.

“Wow. It’s just about overwhelming. It gives you goosebumps,” she reflected.

“The community's done an awesome, awesome thing.”