Harcourts Southland Food Bank Drive organisers Sean Bellew, left, and Wayne Ellis and food bank chairman Peter Swain sorting the many boxes and bags of non perishable food collected.

The 10 tonnes of non perishable food collected in Invercargill and Otatara on Thursday should last the Southland Food Bank 12 months.

Food bank chairman Peter Swain said this year's food bank drive was the best ever.

"It'll last us a year, I'm amazed ... the generosity of people is astounding."

Swain said it could take volunteers three weeks to sort and check dates on all items. Some of the first checked and ticked off will be in outgoing parcels in the next few days.

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He added the food bank helped about 25 families, with two to six people in each home. A few were working parents struggling to pay bills and buy food.

"They can't cope and contact us," Swain said.

The food bank received donated items and money throughout the year but the annual drive bolstered stocks considerably, Swain said.

This year's big amount was a welcome sight to Swain and his helpers, as the usual high demand throughout the year had lowered stocks noticeably.

Staff of the drive's organiser, Harcourts Southland, are helped for the collection by personnel from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, NZ Police, St John, Red Cross, More FM, Westpac, GWD Russells and Creation Signs.

Sean Bellew, of Harcourts, said seven Fire and Emergency New Zealand vehicles were used for the collection this year. More FM staff used a bus to collect 2.7 tonnes of food from various places including schools.

Bellew and work colleague Wayne Ellis, thought about 130 volunteers were involved. The big number of volunteers and huge amount of food donated delighted Bellew and Ellis.

"It shows people down here care for each other," Bellew said.

He has organised nine food bank drives, with Harcourts becoming involved in 2015.