14th September 2016

AUCKLAND CITY MISSION MEDIA RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Penrose-based social enterprise Ooooby has provided fresh, local produce to the Auckland City Mission since its inception in 2010.

Ooooby, which stands for “Out of our own backyards,” delivers boxes of locally-grown, fresh produce to its customers on a weekly or fortnightly basis. Once the pre-ordered boxes have been delivered, any surplus items are carefully packaged and brought into the Auckland City Mission for the organisation to distribute to families in desperate need.

“We really look forward to having the Ooooby truck arrive each week, because it means we’re able to offer a variety of healthy, fresh fruit and veggies to people in crises,” says Auckland City Missioner, Chris Farrelly.

Mr Farrelly points out that low-income families often struggle to access a wide variety of fresh produce, with the cost of a single capsicum often rivalling a serving of chips. On average, families visiting the Mission for emergency food have $21.94 to spend per person per week on grocery items. That’s just $3.13 per person per day.

The Mission includes carrots, potatoes and onions in all of its emergency food parcels, but weekly donations of fresh produce from individuals and organisations like Ooooby allow for added variety and improved nutritional value.

"We are stoked we can help reduce food waste and together with our customers help out Auckland families by our donations to City Mission every week," says Ooooby Operations Manager, Daphne Gehrels.

The need for emergency food support is higher than ever in Auckland, with the Mission distributing a record 13,714 food parcels in the year to June – its highest total ever. Most of the items packed into these food parcels are donated by schools, businesses, community groups and individuals; a fact which, Mr Farrelly says, demonstrates how generous and socially aware many Aucklanders are.

“Without the kindness and generosity of individual Aucklanders, school students, community groups and businesses like Ooooby, the Mission would simply not be able to support those in our community who are struggling to put food on the table for their families.”

ENDS

MORE ABOUT OOOOBY:

• Ooooby is based in Penrose, with a mission to put small-scale sustainable farming back at the heart of the food system we all depend on.
• Since its inception in 2010, Ooooby have delivered over 80,000 boxes of local food to more than 4,000 Aucklanders.
• Ooooby Auckland is wholly owned by Ooooby Ltd along with the hubs in Christchurch and Sydney. Waikato, Tauranga, Taranaki and California hubs are operated under license.
• Ooooby Ltd is a for profit company that is 80% owned by the Ooooby Foundation, a charitable trust, which is committed to helping to build sustainable food systems.

MORE ABOUT THE AUCKLAND CITY MISSION:

• Since 1920, Auckland City Mission has been helping Aucklanders by providing integrated services, including emergency food parcels, support for homeless people, drug and alcohol detoxification services, and effective advocacy.
• In the year to June, 2016, the Mission distributed 13,714 individual and family food parcels. Of these, 10,728 went to families.
• In the last financial year, the City Mission distributed $1.4 million-worth of food, including donations to 35 food banks and other agencies across the wider Auckland, Northland and Waikato regions, to provide meals for struggling families who have nowhere else to go.

www.aucklandcitymission.org.nz

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