Foodstuffs’ $1 million donation to support more than 30 charities across New Zealand
FSNZ
Foodstuffs' brands - New World, PAK'nSAVE, Four Square, Gilmours
and Trents - made a commitment in mid-April to donate more than $1
million to help New Zealanders who are facing tough times due to
COVID-19.
New Zealand's charities and community support organisations are
facing significant and prolonged demand as a result of COVID-19 and
its impact. Our hope is that our donation commitment will enable
our charity partners to meet their increased demand and help our
must vulnerable get back on their feet as we look to the
future.
"Our charity partners around the country are experiencing
significant demand as New Zealanders cope with the effects of
COVID-19 in their communities and their households," says
Steve Anderson, CEO, Foodstuffs South Island. "By helping
charities and community organisations meet New Zealanders'
increased needs, we are hopeful it will help us all collectively
recover as we look to rebuild New Zealand together."
Under this commitment, Foodstuffs have pledged immediate,
additional support for more than 30 organisations to-date
throughout New Zealand so they can continue to help our most
in-need individuals. Among these are our City Missions and food
rescue organisations, who look after our communities and ensure
they have consistent access to healthy food, our Ronald McDonald
Houses who look after and feed families with children in hospital,
and Age Concern who look after our elderly neighbours.
New Zealand's main three City Missions (Auckland, Wellington,
Christchurch) are now experiencing upwards of triple digit demand
and are serving more of the community than they ever did prior to
COVID-19. The funding the Missions received is going towards
providing more food parcels and making more deliveries to feed
in-need individuals and families.
"Food insecurity is a real issue in our communities,"
says Chris Quin, CEO, Foodstuffs North Island. "Food banks and
food rescue organisations are feeding hundreds more families than
they did before COVID-19 and their support will ensure families'
needs are met and will help alleviate some of the hardship they
might be experiencing right now."
"Our supporters continue to make what we do in our community
possible," says Matthew Mark, Christchurch City Missioner.
"We are humbled by this generous Foodstuffs donation so we can
keep looking after our community. We are still rolling on with our
services and with this donation, we're now able to increase the
quantity and speed at which we deliver food parcels to those in
need."
Food rescue organisations are collecting excess and donated food
from the supply chain to help food banks and other community
groups. Food that is good enough to eat, but not good enough to
sell, is collected by food rescue organisations such as KiwiHarvest
or Kaibosh, and redistributed to their recipients which includes
organisations such as the three City Missions, the Salvation Army,
family support service centres, churches and maraes.
"Many of Aotearoa's communities are already food insecure,
which has now been worsened by COVID-19," says Gavin Findlay,
CEO, KiwiHarvest. "The high quality and fresh food we rescue
from Foodstuffs stores around the country enable us to fill a gap
for so many who are struggling. With Foodstuffs' additional support
at this time, we can assist food insecure communities by supplying
produce to frontline food banks and community groups who distribute
directly to families and ease the financial pressure they might be
experiencing right now."
The economic impact of COVID-19 is only starting to take shape,
but we remain hopeful as we continue to navigate this together.
Total list of charities supported:
- ADHB (via Starship)
- Age Concern
- Auckland City Mission
- Canterbury Foodbank
- Christchurch City Mission
- Do Some Good
- Eat My Lunch
- Fair Food
- Food Rescue Northland
- Gizzy Kai Rescue
- Good Neighbour
- Halo Food Rescue
- Just Zilch
- Kaibosh
- Kaivolution
- Kiwi Community Assistance (KCA)
- KiwiHarvest
- Love Soup
- Mangere Budgeting Services
- Nelson Kai Rescue
- Nourished for Nil
- NZSAS Trust
- Red Cross - Meals on Wheels
- Ronald McDonald Houses in Auckland, Wellington and
Christchurch
- Satisfy Food Rescue
- SPCA
- Student Volunteer Army
- VisionWest
- Wai Waste Wairarapa
- WELLfed Learners
- Wellington City Mission
