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 donated $10,000 to Whakaora Kai to help them continue to provide much needed support to Northland communities.

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 Whakaora Kai is essential and we’ve got a great relationship 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.”

Whakaora Kai is Northland’s only dedicated food rescue, and operates from three main sites, with Whangarei being the largest. Every day, their team of volunteers collects unwanted food from local supermarkets, producers, farms and small businesses and distributes it to community groups working with people in need.

Liz Cassidy-Canning, 155 Whare Āwhina Chief Executive Officer says the $10,000 grant from Foodstuffs North Island will have a tremendous impact.

“There's a lot of perfectly good food out there that would otherwise go to waste, and every item we rescue makes a huge difference for families,” she says.

“People love and appreciate the work that we do, but running a food rescue involves a lot of hidden costs. We rely on charitable grants like this one and every bit of funding is a huge relief, especially when we're on such a tight budget. The more capacity we have, the more food we can rescue.

"This grant helps us keep going, gives us peace of mind, and allows us to continue our important work. We're incredibly grateful to Foodstuffs North Island for their support.”

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 for communities in need. This year, Foodstuffs North Island has provided donations to 14 Food Rescues,  totalling $140,000.

For more information, visit Here for NZ