Bay residents help where they can | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

In the midst of disaster sometimes the most admirable side of the human spirit shines through.

Already more than 3000 people have registered to volunteer and help clean oil off the beaches after Rena's grounding.

Those volunteers will now get a full belly for their efforts after at least three baking runs have provided hundreds of home-baked goodies for those on the frontline.

The Rena-Kai-Run had six people on board on Wednesday. By yesterday afternoon their Facebook page had over 435 likes, dozens of businesses had donated goods and some donations of baked goods have been so plentiful they couldn't fit into a car.

Operations manager Sammy Griggs is overwhelmed. She said the Rena-Kai-Run "was just a small idea".

Upset at oil on the beaches, Sammy and a friend went to help clean but were told they couldn't.

"So we got talking with a guy who was working down there. It was about 2pm and he had been there since first thing that morning and hadn't really had a break. So I said as a joke 'I'll make you some lunch'. But then I was like: 'Actually, no I really will make you lunch', and went home and started making a soup."

And so the wheels of Rena-Kai-Run began to turn, with astounding results.

"I came home from work yesterday and there were 11 boxes of food dropped off from Gate Pa New World. And Upper Crust Bakery and Mount Maunganui Bakery and the Big Bake place at Papamoa, they have been giving us heaps of stuff."

Earlier yesterday Sammy got a text from a cafe in Hamilton bringing food over, while Zaggers Cafe had already provided a box of muffins and other goodies.

Sammy said an Otumoetai student offered to bake some goods but when she and her friends arrived to drop it off "they had to fill the car because there was more baking than people".

"I was in tears yesterday. It started off as just a small idea. I'm only 18."

The Rena-Kai-Run Facebook page has listed all the businesses who have donated, with a big "thanks".

Meanwhile Mount Maunganui surfers Tarina McKenzie, Tracey Bourgeois and Jen Harford-Mouldey sent out a text bomb to other Surfemme members and friends.

They asked people to drop off food to help feed the volunteers at a pergola at Mount Maunganui's Tay St from 10am-2pm.

The response was "huge".

"It was awesome. We had mixed fruit, club sandwiches, beautiful home baking and some lady brought this massive box of scones," Ms Hartford-Mouldey said.

Other items included home-baked bacon and egg pies, other meat pies and "tonnes of bananas", Ms McKenzie said.

"We have filled out our table three to four times over."

Ms Bourgeois said they felt helpless and wanted to do something. It was a statement that was also shared by the people dropping off food, she said.

Sammy and the Surfemme women have not been alone in their efforts of goodwill.

Bay of Plenty Polytechnic lecturer Laurie Steer has also sparked off a baking run, encouraging people to provide home-baked goodies to "help keep the frontliners in good spirit".

Larry's Tea House already had 122 friends on Facebook yesterday afternoon and had completed its fourth run.

Mike Jefferies from the local Big Smoke BBQ company will be putting on a barbecue for volunteers cleaning up at Papamoa Surf Club from 10am onwards tomorrow.

The people behind Angel Bay foods - the brand of meat patties that were washed ashore this week - are understood to be "mobilising a team to do what the company does best and cook up some hearty food to feed the dedicated volunteers".