KiwiHarvest receives Christmas grant from Auckland Airport to fund new refrigerated truck

It’s coming sooner than expected with a $10,000 Christmas gift from Auckland Airport’s Twelve Days of Christmas community giving program for communities near the airport.

Money is collected from spare change and foreign currency deposited into globe piggy banks dotted around Auckland Airport throughout the year, and KiwiHarvest is one of 12 recipients to benefit from this money this Christmas.

“The timing couldn’t be more perfect for this money because of the need we have for this truck heading into the busy season,” said KiwiHarvest Managing Director Angela Calver.

“The end of January is the busiest time of year for us, when children return to school and parents need to find money to buy uniforms and school supplies, which adds to pressure on those who are already struggling. »

South Auckland is one of KiwiHarvest’s busiest areas, where around 15% of food is distributed through 27 partner charities such as the Salvation Army, Women’s Refuge, shelters for homeless people, community kitchens and educational organizations.

“Food is very often the starting point for social agencies working with their clients to break the cycle of need. Having KiwiHarvest deliver rescued food allows these agencies to focus on solving their core problems and refocus their funding on programs to help their clients,” says Calver.

“The fresh, high-quality foods we provide offer more nutrients than the canned and dry products charities have traditionally had access to, filling a gap for so many people who struggle to feed themselves and their families .

“If we couldn’t replace the truck, we would lose 20% of our capacity to pick up good quality food – which we cannot afford given the need is so great and we already have 51 branches on waiting list. to receive the food.

Auckland Airport Corporate Services Manager Melanie Dooney says the airport is excited to help KiwiHarvest put a new delivery truck on the road.

“The cost of living crisis has intensified the challenge of accessing nutritious food for many families, making KiwiHarvest more vital than ever,” says Dooney. “We’re happy to be able to support the new truck and the team’s efforts to reduce food waste and hunger by putting it in the hands of those who need it.”

KiwiHarvest was established in 2012 and has branches in Auckland (Highbrook and North Shore), Queenstown, Dunedin and Invercargill.

Each month it recovers around 200,000 kg of good quality surplus food, more than 40% of which are fruit and vegetables that do not meet specifications or are reaching the end of their life in supermarkets.

In addition to feeding people, it helps reduce the environmental impact of food waste by keeping edible food away from landfills where it would decompose and release harmful greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

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