November 26, 2025
I t’s the season of giving and locals certainly did that during the Toot for Tucker food drive. Hundreds of volunteers showed up on Monday to help collect bags of food left on doorsteps throughout Ashburton, Tinwald and Allenton.
Over 400 boxes were packed full of pantry staples and put aside for local foodbanks to prepare for the holiday period after people donated food items for families doing it tough. Salvation Army corps officer Lieutenant Semi Ratu said the new stock would comfortably get them to the end of the year.
“Especially this time of the year, we have a lot of people who are finding it challenging to put food on the table,” Ratu said. “This helps to boost those families who need extra support around the Christmas season.”
The 211 boxes supplied to the Sallies should stock the shelves of their social supermarket pantry until April. “We’re really grateful to live in such a community that looks after each other, a community that helps out,” Ratu said.
“Really, really, really, really grateful and blessed.” St Vincent de Paul’s Ashburton branch president Trevor Wall was similarly thankful for the around 200 boxes their foodbank had received.
“It really is a fantastic community, to be given that much.” He was equally grateful for the turnout of volunteers for the Toot for Tucker drive. “The Lions were very well organised, and all the service clubs were there. The night went without a hitch.
“Most of our team from St Vincent de Paul were there the whole night. We loaded up boxes on the night and unloaded the next morning.” He expects the non-perishable goods - the canned beans, fruits, the pasta and so on - to sustain their foodbank for around six months.
For Ashburton Lion Julie McKimmie, there are some final boxes to tick to wrap up an event that took months of planning. “It’s a few days of cleaning up and just finishing things off now.” She said the night was full of abundance in groceries and manpower.
“There were a lot of groups who take it up as a community service; there were scouts, there were the cadets, there was a group of students from Mayfield school; Lots of parents with children. “It’s lovely to see these kids doing some good for the community.
“At the end of the night, it’s always exciting to see the vans, and the trucks, and the trailers come in, and put all the food in the vehicles,” McKimmie said.
By Anisha Satya
I t’s the season of giving and locals certainly did that during the Toot for Tucker food drive. Hundreds of volunteers showed up on Monday to help collect bags of food left on doorsteps throughout Ashburton, Tinwald and Allenton.
Over 400 boxes were packed full of pantry staples and put aside for local foodbanks to prepare for the holiday period after people donated food items for families doing it tough. Salvation Army corps officer Lieutenant Semi Ratu said the new stock would comfortably get them to the end of the year.
“Especially this time of the year, we have a lot of people who are finding it challenging to put food on the table,” Ratu said. “This helps to boost those families who need extra support around the Christmas season.”
The 211 boxes supplied to the Sallies should stock the shelves of their social supermarket pantry until April. “We’re really grateful to live in such a community that looks after each other, a community that helps out,” Ratu said.
“Really, really, really, really grateful and blessed.” St Vincent de Paul’s Ashburton branch president Trevor Wall was similarly thankful for the around 200 boxes their foodbank had received.
“It really is a fantastic community, to be given that much.” He was equally grateful for the turnout of volunteers for the Toot for Tucker drive. “The Lions were very well organised, and all the service clubs were there. The night went without a hitch.
“Most of our team from St Vincent de Paul were there the whole night. We loaded up boxes on the night and unloaded the next morning.” He expects the non-perishable goods - the canned beans, fruits, the pasta and so on - to sustain their foodbank for around six months.
For Ashburton Lion Julie McKimmie, there are some final boxes to tick to wrap up an event that took months of planning. “It’s a few days of cleaning up and just finishing things off now.” She said the night was full of abundance in groceries and manpower.
“There were a lot of groups who take it up as a community service; there were scouts, there were the cadets, there was a group of students from Mayfield school; Lots of parents with children. “It’s lovely to see these kids doing some good for the community.
“At the end of the night, it’s always exciting to see the vans, and the trucks, and the trailers come in, and put all the food in the vehicles,” McKimmie said.
By Anisha Satya
