Foodstuffs North Island, the 102-year-old co-operative behind the North Island’s locally owned and operated PAK’nSAVE, New World and Four Square stores, has given a $30,000 boost to organisations providing much needed support to the Manawatū-Whanganui communities by donating $10,000 each to Hope Hub, Just Zilch, and the Whanganui Kai Hub.
Willa Hand, Foodstuffs North Island Head of Membership Experience, says the donation is part of the co-operatives ongoing commitment to be HereforNZ, ensuring New Zealanders have access to healthy and affordable food.
“Food rescue organisations are an important partner for us, helping redirect food to the community that would otherwise have gone to landfill,” she says.
“The work of Hope Hub, Just Zilch and the Whanganui Kai Hub is essential, and we’ve built great relationships through the support provided by our local PAK’nSAVE and New World supermarkets, but we wanted to contribute even more towards the important work they do.”
Just Zilch is a food rescue and free store based in Palmerston North. Their team of nearly 100 volunteers collects surplus food from local businesses and organisations and makes it accessible for anyone facing food insecurity – with no judgment or eligibility requirements.
Rebecca Culver, Managing Director of Just Zilch, says the grant money was an exciting and gratifying surprise.
“Foodstuffs North Island have always been really supportive, and we source a significant portion of our food from their Palmerston North Distribution Centre and local supermarkets like New World Pioneer, but this extra help comes at a crucial time,” she says.
“As much as we’re a volunteer-run organisation, it’s still important we look after our staff. This grant will allow us to invest further in our team, ultimately allowing us to serve the community even better.
Kai Hub, a Whanganui-based food rescue and redistribution organisation, is taking a unique approach towards developing a sustainable kai system. They’re part of a city-wide collective called the Whanganui Food Security Co-Operative, partnering with five other local food rescues to increase the scope and scale of their operations.
2024 is a year of growth for Kai Hub, and General Manager Stephen Lee says the grant will allow them to more efficiently collect and distribute food to the 17 community agencies that service the public in Whanganui.
“This will involve being able to plan and improve, so that we can be even more effective in our community. This funding enables us to do this,” Stephen says.
“Without this funding, the entire Whanganui ecosystem enabling this to happen would be severely impacted. So, we’re extremely grateful to Foodstuffs for identifying this need and supporting us.”
The third major Manawatu food rescue organisation to receive a grant from Foodstuffs North Island is Hope Hub. Hope Hub collaborates with local schools, collecting uneaten produce and leftover food from lunches and making that food available at their free store.
“We are very grateful and so excited to have received this grant from Foodstuffs, it will go towards our operational costs, of which without we are unable to run, so this makes all the difference,” Charlotte Birkett, Hope Hub Store supervisor says.
“More than ever food insecurity is a massive issue facing our community and New Zealand as a whole, not only for those who aren’t working but for those who are as well.
“Grants like these are essential in helping us continue to help make up for some of the deficit our community is facing.”
The support from Foodstuffs North Island and their Here for NZ fund is aimed at reducing food waste and emissions as well as redirecting surplus food for communities in need. This year, Foodstuffs North Island has provided donations to 14 Food Rescues, totaling $140,000.
For more information, visit Here for NZ (https://www.foodstuffs.co.nz/here-for-nz)
