The six-week annual appeal, supported by The Hits Bay of Plenty 95.0FM, launched on Saturday and collects donations of food and money to support the foodbank through the holidays and into 2025.
The centre also unveiled Trees for Charity on Saturday, a Christmas tree installation made up of 30 trees – up from 20 trees last year.
This year, shoppers are being invited to help decorate the trees.
Tauranga Crossing marketing manager Lana Stretton said the feedback from last year’s initiative described the venture as “heart-warming” and “incredibly moving”.
“We wanted to grow the initiative to reach even more households.”
She said that for many of the families who received a tree last year, it was not just about the physical gift.
“It was the feeling of being remembered and cared for by their community that really made a difference.”
Trees for Charity runs for two weeks, and after the installation, Tauranga Crossing will donate each tree to families in need across the region, along with a $500 Pak’nSave voucher.
Tauranga Crossing’s Trees for Charity initiative will donate 30 decorated trees to families in need this Christmas.
“We felt it was important to spread a little extra joy and support families who are finding things tough right now.”
Tauranga Community Foodbank has had a 16% increase in the number of people needing food support compared with the previous 12 months.
On average, 770 households each month sought support with food.
A total of 9520 kai packages were distributed over the past 12 months, assisting 23,618 people – about half of them children.
Stretton said food insecurity was a “growing issue” across the Bay of Plenty.
“It affects more people than we realise.”
She said the Crossing had an opportunity to highlight the incredible work being done by the Tauranga Community Foodbank.
“Raising awareness is the first step toward driving meaningful change and, at Christmas especially, it’s about reminding people that even small acts of generosity can have a big impact.”
Tauranga Crossing encouraged visitors to the centre to drop off non-perishable food donations for the foodbank at the Level 1 collection point until Christmas Eve.
Tauranga Community Foodbank general manager Nicki Goodwin said the foodbank does the very best it can with what the community provides. Photo / Kaitlyn Morrell
“Even small contributions, like pantry staples or personal care items, make a huge difference for families doing it tough this Christmas.”
Tauranga Community Foodbank’s general manager, Nicki Goodwin, said the lead-up to Christmas was always their busiest time of year.
“We’re supporting hundreds of families, many with children who are struggling to cover even the basics.”
Goodwin said she would meet a lot of people who were on their own and struggling every week to get by.
“Christmas can be a very lonely and tough time. The generosity shown through initiatives like this means so much.
“It’s not just about food, it’s about showing people that their community cares.”
Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.