Community Link’s Christmas appeal is more important than ever this year.

Demand for the organisation’s food bank has doubled in the past year, Community Link manager Kate Murray said.

In addition, demands for “all of our service areas - immigration, Justice of the Peace, social worker services and so on - are increasing”, she said.

The Christmas appeal not only ensures families have a Christmas meal and gifts under the tree, it also helps to stock food bank’s shelves for the coming year.

It is Community Link’s “major fundraiser” for the year, Kate said.

Locals can make donations of food or toys at various local stores but, Kate added, monetary donations are a “critical” part of the campaign too.

It helps to “fill the gaps” not met by other donations - which can be things like fresh meat and vegetables, frozen food, and items for specific dietary requirements.

“Cash donations help maximise our limited storage space, ensuring we can efficiently stock and distribute the food needed for our food parcels,” Kate said.

As well as the increase in demand for Community Link’s services, so has “the complexity of what people need”. 

“Previously it might have been a one-off helping hand,” Kate said. “What we are increasingly seeing now are more in depth requests that take more time and potentially address a range of more complex and challenging needs.”

She said the changes could be attributed to a range of factors.

“It’s partly the economic landscape at the moment; partly because we are growing as a community; partly the cost of living in the region.”

Read more: Food bank ‘scratching the surface of need’

Support Community Link’s Christmas appeal ‘EveryONE CAN’ by making a food donation at New World Three Parks, by dropping off Christmas gifts to Mitre 10 Mega Wānaka, or by making a financial donation - one off or regular - via the link here.

Community Link is Wānaka’s one-stop support and connection centre.

PHOTO: Community Link

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