Local Food Banks To Benefit from Week-Long Appeal

Local Food Banks To Benefit from Week-Long Appeal

South Islanders are this week being urged to fill brown paper bags, that have been delivered via provincial newspapers, with non perishable food and drop these back at their local New World supermarket.

The filled backs will then be sent to local food banks for subsequent distribution in the local community.

Kent Mahon, the New World South Island Group Manager, said that what started as a local Christchurch initiative several years ago, has now gone South Island wide.

“In the last two years we have expanded the appeal by giving customers the opportunity to make cash donations via special boxes located on each of the manned checkouts throughout New World’s stores in the South Island.  They proved popular and this will be repeated this time.”

“For those customers who do not receive a bag or wish to donate at the store, they can just bring their non-perishable items to the local New World outlet.

“We understand the important part that food banks play in our community, and that is why, as a group, we are such strong supporters of the initiative,” he said.

If Christchurch is an example, the demand for food parcels throughout the South Island is growing. The number of food parcels given out in Christchurch increased by 34% from 2011 to 2012.  More than 28,000 parcels were issued in 2012, an average of 2,357 per month.

The paper bag appeal runs from July 29 to August 4.

ENDS

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