Held annually, this year on October 27th, the Wanganui South Rotary Club Foodbank Drive is an example of a relationship between Rotary, our schools, and the community which epitomizes the partnering philosophy.
The partners for this project are: Rotary of course, the City Mission, Wanganui Collegiate School and businesses in the community. During the early evening, 5:30pm onwards, the streets of Wanganui reverberate to the sirens of the 38 collection vehicles as they move around every street in the city collecting plastic bags of groceries. Wanganui businesses provide the vehicles, with or without drivers, Rotarians and business people are the drivers, and Wanganui Collegiate School provides the runners, 82 student volunteers who gave their time willingly to perform this service. Margaret and I dropped in for a few minutes to see Rotary In Action and, such was our interest in the project we didn't leave until about 8:30.
Some statistics. 272 large cardboard boxes were filled with grocery
items ranging from tinned fruit and baked beans, to cereals, to toilet
paper and soap.
I spent some time with City Missioner, Shirley Joy-Barrow, afterwards
who gave me some sobering statistics. Food parcels issued in 2010
numbered 1384. This year 'til September: 1166. Referrals 2010, 539, as at
Sept. 2011, 492. WINZ stand-downs, 169/174.
Our City Missions do wonderful community work and so do our Rotary clubs. Well done Wanganui South.
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| The vehicles line up to collect their Collegiate school runners |
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| One of the many vehicles used in the drive |
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| Upon return the vehicles are unloaded and the foodstuffs are transported by shopping trolley to |
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| the sorting tables |
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| Imlay Butchery provide a snack for |
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| everyone before they depart |
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| And the store rooms are once again chocka. |
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