Oamaru Combined Churches Community Foodbank volunteers (third from left) Brenda Adams, Glenys Curry, Sharon Finnie, manager Sharon Kingan and volunteer Debbie Fluitsma receive donated items from Oamaru Intermediate School. PHOTO: JULES CHIN An Oamaru foodbank seeing a massive rise in need has received an ‘‘incredibly generous’’ donation of goods from a local school. Pupils from Oamaru Intermediate recently delivered boxes containing 1197 items to the Oamaru Combined Churches Community Foodbank. Foodbank manager Sharon Kingan said they were ‘‘very grateful’’ for last week’s delivery. The foodbank, which runs with the help of 21 volunteers and a committee, was ‘‘well up on last year’s numbers’’ at the same time of year, Mrs Kingan said. ‘‘We’ve noticed we’ve had more clients coming through with all sorts of living situations, some struggling with homelessness and a lot of single people coming through also. Times are hard for everyone.’’ Oamaru Intermediate class councillors Beth Muir, Luke Otuhouma, Olivia Constable, Osai Tukumoeatu, Emily Mailei, Seth Goodsir, Toby Adams and Ma’ata Kava, along with school principal Rebecca Meek and deputy principal Belinda Hirst, delivered the canned and packaged goods to the foodbank. ‘‘It was incredibly generous and we are very, very grateful,’’ Mrs Kingan said. ‘‘It’s exciting to receive this many items.’’ People in the Waitaki district were a very generous community, Mrs Kingan said. ‘‘Each week if people have excess food or veggies they drop them off to the foodbank. The schools also have drive fundraisers for the foodbank. ‘‘We are very grateful of any donation or food that we receive, New World are also very supportive and generous to the foodbank. ‘‘We rely on donations as we are not government-funded and we work as a stand-alone organisation,’’ she said. Oamaru Intermediate School class councillor Ma’ata Kava, 12, said each school room worked on gathering donations for the collective drive fundraiser for one week. Ma’ata said she was ‘‘happy’’ the school’s donated goods would go to those in need. Mrs Hirst, who worked with the students to organise the foodbank drive, said this was the 10th year the school had donated goods, and due to the size of the donation this year they also delivered them by school van direct to the foodbank. The Oamaru Combined Churches Community Foodbank is located at 4 France St. juliana.chin@odt.co.nz
