For nine years, the Curate Church’s ‘Gift of Groceries’ in collaboration with hundreds of individuals, businesses and organisations, has been making a huge impact across the Tauranga community.

"One mother immediately fell to the ground crying when we arrived with the hampers. They are a very large whānau who are in extreme poverty, so being able to give her children this food brought the tears flowing,” says a Family Works spokesperson.

"I dropped off a box to a family who were under a lot of stress as Dad was in hospital. This act of kindness enabled me to have an open door to come back and visit the wife and children after Dad died a week later, to offer emotional and spiritual support,” says a Waipuna Hospice team member.

In the spirit of giving back this holiday season, Curate Church is gearing up for the ninth year of its impactful annual initiative, the ‘Gift of Groceries’, and asks the community to help.

In partnership with Pak’n Save Papamoa and New World Mount Maunganui, Curate Church’s heartfelt project on December 4-6 aims to assemble and distribute 2000 boxes of essential groceries to Tauranga families experiencing hardship, via local organisations.

“We are working in collaboration with over 50 local organisations, including Oranga Tamariki, NZ Police, Plunket, Tauranga Hospital and Waipuna Hospice, and low decile schools to ensure they get to those in most need,” says Curate’s Elle Crawford.

“Hire It, Synergy Technologies, Endless Fencing and Kingdom Hire are our four key sponsors and we are also approaching more local businesses for sponsorship.”

Elle says that due to food price increases, the boxes will now cost $50 each - up from $40 each for the last few years.

“You can shout a box - or three - by making a donation. Each box costs $50 and goes to an individual or whānau who have been identified by our partner organisations as experiencing genuine hardship.”

There are now enough volunteers signed up to come and help with packing next week, which Elle says is “awesome”.

“However, we still have a shortfall on our financial goal for this project, so we would love for the wider community to dig deep and help us see all 2,000 boxes fully sponsored.”

Elle says the total cost of purchasing, packing and distributing these boxes is covered by donations from the Curate Church community and the generosity of local businesses.

“Community support has been amazing so far - we have over 200 volunteers coming to join us in this kaupapa, both from the Curate community and local businesses who do their "staff volunteer day" with us, such as ASB Bayfair, Holland Beckett Law, Generation Homes, and Employ NZ,” says Elle.

“Other local businesses have generously chipped in with supplying free truck, trailer and forklift hire, and 3km of packing tape too.”

Gift of Groceries boxes being delivered in 2019. Photo: SunLive.

Gift of Groceries boxes are packed full of grocery items, including pantry staples, dinner essentials, snacks, and a few Christmas treats.

All the boxes are distributed via over 50 local partner organisations, to ensure they get to the people who need them most.

"Everyone was truly grateful and we definitely discovered new levels of poverty. It's good to have our hearts moved by compassion for those less fortunate, and to be able to find new ways to help bridge the gap,” says a Mount Maunganui College staff member.

Tautoko Mai Sexual Harm Support received feedback last year from a parent, who says “recently I have been going through financial hardship and have been needing to go without food myself, to have enough for my children. This will take some pressure off over the Christmas period.”

Tauranga Hospital Outpatients Department have also been involved in helping distribute a Gift of Groceries pack.

“This year [December 2022] we gave Gift of Groceries bags to many people for which Christmas was a struggle, including a young woman who had been involved in a violent home situation, an elderly gentleman who lived alone, a patient who lives in their car while trying to find work, a family living in emergency housing with a terminal illness,” says a Tauranga Hospital Outpatients Department spokesperson.

“It makes a huge difference for those who are often forgotten about in the busyness of the season.”

A financial contribution can make a significant difference. As we approach a season centred on compassion and generosity, the community is invited to join hands in supporting this cause.

Let’s come together and make the Gift of Groceries a beacon of hope.

To sponsor and for more information go to https://curatechurch.com/giftofgroceries