Food rescue charity, Kaibosh, is asking New Zealanders to Give a Meal in May this month to help them get 100,000 meals to the community. Every $20 donated helps Kaibosh provide 40 meals worth of good kai to the community.

“Getting involved with Give a Meal in May is a great way for people to support others in our local communities. You’ll be helping us get a lot of good kai to whānau who are doing it tough right now” says Matt Dagger, Kaibosh CEO. “It’s our last push for our appeal month so, we’re asking Wellingtonians to dig deep to help us with our important work.”

Kaibosh supply food to more than 140 charities and community groups in the Greater Wellington Region. The food rescue charity’s community partners are reporting an increasing level of need in the community, as more people are struggling with the costs of living. “We know that more people are needing support to access good nutritious food each day” says Ben Wakefield, General Manager at Kaibosh. “Over 70% of the food we provide to the community is fresh produce, dairy, meat, eggs. We’re getting good healthy kai to people who really need it” adds Ben.

Recent research by the New Zealand Food Network shows that since 2020 there has been a 165% increase in the number of people across Aotearoa receiving food support from foodbanks, food rescue and food network hubs. The top reason people are requesting support is the cost-of-living crisis (88%).

“With Kaibosh's support we're able to reach out and connect with people and make sure that a family has food for one or two days, sometimes even longer,” says Irihāpeti Hokianga Te Aho from Strathmore Park Community Centers.

“Kaibosh is about not only food, but it's about manaakitanga. The way that we care for people in our community, the way that we share the love of this place, this environment, and the way that we engage with them is individuals and being able to provide a listening ear.” says Raewin Tipene-Clark, Strathmore Park Community Centers.

Kaibosh supplies good quality rescued food to a diverse range of recipient organisations – from soup kitchens to food banks, Marae based whānau support, transitional housing services, to afterschool clubs and youth development programmes. In Wellington City, Kaibosh partner with charities including The Free Store, Salvation Army, DCM, Compassion Soup Kitchen, Ekta NZ and Everybody Eats, who support the most vulnerable people in central Wellington with good healthy kai as well as the opportunity for social connection and access to social services. Kaibosh provides their food rescue service at no cost to partner charities, which enables those organisations to use their resources for specialist social services instead of purchasing food.

“The support we get from Kaibosh, helps us to get to the vulnerable in our community” says Manjit Grewal from Ekta NZ, who offers food assistance for ethnic communities in Wellington. “That outreach is important. As Wellington grows, we have more people who are in need, and we are able to help them access some food for the week” he adds.

Waikanae Food Share started in 2020, with support from Kaibosh in Kāpiti to get the service up and running. “We've been working together for two years to give real help that makes a real difference to local families,” says Pippa, founder, and manager of Waikanae Food Share.

Ōrongomai Marae in collects food twice a week from Kaibosh Hutt Valley hub in Petone, to distribute from their Marae kaibank. They are supporting more than 40 families regularly with kai parcels, alongside the whānau and health services they offer in Upper Hutt. Dominique, from Ōrongomai, says they’ve had a relationship with Kaibosh for 10 years, but in the past few years more local whānau needing support with access to kai, due to challenges of the three years of the pandemic and rising costs of living.

Donations made to Kaibosh go straight to helping with the food rescue charity with it’s daily operating costs.

“Every dollar counts. It all helps to keep our food rescue vans on the road and our three sites running, so our team can keep sourcing good kai before it’s wasted” exokains Ben.

Kaibosh rescue and distribute on average 70,000kg of quality surplus food every month, diverting good kai from being needlessly wasted. They operate from three hubs in Wellington City, Hutt Valley and Kāpiti-Horowhenua and offer their food rescue service at no cost to their partner charities and food donors.

Find out more about Kaibosh’s Give a Meal in May appeal and donate at kaibosh.org.nz

© Scoop Media