The hundreds of people expected to visit Rambler Drive’s Christmas lights in the next fortnight are being encouraged to bring a can of food to leave in the street’s pātaka kai.

Whakatāne teen Jack Karetai-Barrett said the pātaka kai (food pantry) has been in place outside 3 Rambler Drive for about a year and a half.

“Because we have so many people coming up and down our road for the Christmas lights, I feel like it would be really helpful if people started dropping off canned food for the food drive and families in need.

“We get so much traffic – cars and people on foot – because our street goes all out.”

Jack and his mum regularly put food in the pātaka, which is often collected by members of the community. Any food left for longer than a day is brought inside by Jack’s household and then donated to a food bank.

They also put plants and seeds into the pātaka.

“We just want to keep that up.”

Jack’s household gives year-round. At his recent birthday celebrations, the 16-year-old asked guests to bring food to be donated, rather than presents for himself.

“I’m really grateful for what I get. I don’t have to worry about what’s on the table at night because I’ve got a pantry full of food,” he said.

“I don’t like seeing my mates and other people having to go looking for food because there’s none easily available.”

He’d like to see more people get into the habit of giving at every time of the year, perhaps using the pātaka kai and Rambler Drive Christmas lights as a starting point.