Christmas Boxes are food parcels designed to supplement family meals for more than a week.
The Invercargill contingent was part of a nationwide programme which started at Life Church in Auckland in 2001.
The Christmas Box concept had grown to include 12 packing locations from Northland to Southland.
Invercargill regional convener Dayle Wright said it was the second year Invercargill had been involved and distribution numbers had doubled from 350 to 710 in the past 12 months.
"It’s just mushroomed to also include Australia and the Cook Islands."
Fundraising and donations contributed to the $40 per box regional fund throughout the year.
"Because of corporate sponsorship, the [box content] value is much higher than $40."
She welcomed any business who would like to be involved in corporate sponsorship.
The initiative was a wonderful way of meeting the needs in a community in both a caring and thoughtful way, she said.
It was also a way for the different church groups to work together to achieve a greater outcome for their communities.
The churches had been fundraising throughout the year to build the region’s sponsorship fund and a collective team met on Saturday to churn out more than 700 boxes from an assembly packing line in four hours.
Having a lead office organising grocery item purchases as well as supplying the boxes meant there was more buying power which allowed items to be bought at a bulk cost.
The filled boxes were given to lead community aid agencies to distribute to those they knew were in need.
Salvation Army Major Murray Sanson said the 250 boxes their centre received were like a "God-send".
"[the news] was sheer joy. The aspect of giving is twice blessed. It’s going to bless them and it blesses our heart that we are able to give when our resources were depleted so much. It was marvellous to know the other Christian organisations and churches could pull together and support us in this."
Christmas was special for children, he said.
"It’s not about getting presents, make sure they’ve got sustenance and a good family environment to appreciate Christmas as well."
Throughout 2023 the Salvation Army Food Bank had been experiencing one of its leanest donation years.
Financial resources had also been heavily depleted from filling the shelves of the over-stretched food bank, he said.
The hampers would be combined with another family-focused initiative the church was running through the holidays for families who were struggling.
Donations received from now on would go towards 2024 boxes. (christmasbox.co.nz)
Mrs Wright hoped more than 1000 boxes would be distributed next year.
- By Toni McDonald