Tauranga Community Trust Foodbank chairman, Don Brebner says the organisation is still under pressure and is set to hand out a record number of food parcels for another year.

He predicts over 10,000 food parcels will be handed out between June 2010 and July 2011.

Three years ago, the foodbank distributed an average of 5000 food parcels a year.

Don believes many people in the Western Bay of Plenty are still struggling with the effects of the recession.

'It may have peaked for the middle and top income people, but it hasn't for lower income people.”

The foodbank is appealing for help from the Tauranga community as the busy Christmas season approaches.

'We are looking forward to the usual support we get at Christmas time.”

The foodbank received a flood of support from Tauranga residents last Christmas.

'We had a wonderful Christmas last year. The community really got behind the foodbank and we hope they do the same," says Don.

'More and more businesses and firms tie the foodbank into their Christmas functions, making their entry into the function a donation for the food bank.”

Don says larger families in the region are seeking help.

Typically only couples with two or three children will come to the foodbank for help but now the organisation is seeing families with five or six children.