"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.”
- Family Works
"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."
- Mount Maunganui College
"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."
- Waipuna Hospice
“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.”
- Tautoko Mai Sexual Harm Support
“This year 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. It makes a huge difference for those who are often forgotten about in the busyness of the season.”
— Tauranga Hospital Outpatients Department
