4 May 2022, Wellington, New Zealand – Kaibosh Food Rescue have scaled up their operations in the past year and are now redistributing up to 90,000 kg of food every month across their three sites in Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Kāpiti-Horowhenua. This equates to 257,000 meals of healthy kai reaching people who would otherwise go hungry in our region every month, an increase of over 30% in the past year. The food rescue operation is also saving around 149,200 kg of carbon emissions per year as 80% of the food being rescued is fresh produce, meat and dairy that would otherwise be lost to other waste streams.

Kaibosh says, that while the environmental impact of their work is important, it has been the increasing social need in our communities that has driven the expansion of their operations. Almost 40% of New Zealanders experience food insecurity which includes one in every five children, according to the 2019 New Zealand Health Survey. This year, the ongoing pandemic and rising living costs have added more pressure on the finances of many vulnerable people and families.

Kaibosh has kicked off its annual fundraising campaign this month, Give a Meal in May. Kaibosh are asking New Zealanders to share their kindness through kai, with a donation that helps them get food to those who need it most.

“A donation to Kaibosh in May helps us feed people who might otherwise go hungry. A $20 donation can provide 39 meals worth of food” says General Manager of Kaibosh, Matt Dagger.

Kaibosh operates as a link between the food industry and groups who are supporting those in need in our communities. They supply food to 130 different charities and community groups including soup kitchens, marae, foodbanks, youth groups, residential facilities and other essential social service providers. More than 80 different food donors provide quality surplus food to Kaibosh, which the team rescues and sorts seven days a week throughout the year. The regular supply of food from Kaibosh means that community organisations can focus their resources on the social support programmes they provide, without needing to source or buy food.

Donna Redmond has seen the positive impact that Kaibosh food can make first hand, through her work as a whanau support worker across the Wellington region for over a decade. Donna worked at the Boys and Girls Institute (BGI) in Wellington City for 12 years and is now at the Kāpiti Whanau Wellbeing Hub. She has seen how a box of healthy Kaibosh kai can be literally life changing for some families.

“I remember a Mum who was battling cancer, there was no money and nothing for the child to have after school. If I hadn’t turned up with Kaibosh food… there was nothing for dinner and nothing for two more days,” Donna says.

“People who are living in poverty, the stress of it, deciding whether you can pay a bill or put food on the table for your children - it’s massive. So many of us can be just one paycheck away from hardship.”

As part of her work at the Kāpiti Whanau Wellbeing Hub, Donna picks up nutritious food from the Kaibosh Kāpiti-Horowhenua site in Paraparaumu each week, using it to make up food parcels for families struggling to make ends meet.

“We work with many other agencies for the parenting programme and with home visits, and the kai from Kaibosh has allowed us to make those connections much more quickly,” she adds.

Recently, Kaibosh has been dealing with a surge in demand for their service. With additional hardship in the community as a result of COVID-19, and many vulnerable people self-isolating through the Omicron outbreak, their charity partners have been providing up to three times more food parcels than before.

“With the Omicron outbreak, our operation across three locations has also been harnessed to get government-funded food out to organisations that are supporting vulnerable people in self isolation. We’re committed to our role as a part of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic” explains Matt.

“One of things we’re most proud of at Kaibosh, is the community we’ve created - from our food donors, to our staff and volunteers and the community groups we support” says Martin Andrews, Kaibosh’s Wellington Operations Manager.

“We’re at the heart of a community of good people looking to make positive change in our country,” he adds.

A donation to Give a Meal in May, helps Kaibosh get food to those who need it most. Every $20 donated to Kaibosh can provide 39 meals worth of food. The funds raised in May support them with ongoing operating costs, keeping their three sites running, their food rescue trucks on the road and the continuity of service supplying charities across the region.

www.kaibosh.org.nz

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