Auckland Food charity expanding, thanks to Medibank grant

An Auckland charity that collects fresh food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributes it to those in need is expanding, thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Medibank Community Fund.

Fair Food has collected and redistributed 110,000 kilos of fresh, healthy food since it began in 2012, reaching around 500 families a week.

Founder Lou Lennane says the grant will go towards employing a second project coordinator/driver and a third vehicle so Fair Food can expand its reach. It currently covers all of west and central Auckland and parts of the North Shore.

“We collect fruit, vegetables and bread from about 30 donor growers and other food businesses daily and deliver it to around 65 community organisations, ranging from child care centres in low decile areas to disability networks to teen parent units.

“The food is collected in the morning and it’s all distributed during the day. We have contracts with our recipient organisations who undertake to distribute it within 24 hours and not to sell it.

“Those who are given the food often say they don’t get fresh food from any other source, so we’re really grateful for the Medibank grant that will help us reach more families in need and reduce food waste in Auckland.”

The 2014 Medibank Community Fund Community grants have provided $100,100 of funding for New Zealand projects that promote healthy lifestyles and community connectedness.

Grants have been provided to a South Auckland and North Waikato Māori Trust to run a programme of activities to encourage its members to be physically active through Kapahaka, a Wellington-based organisation that aims to improve the lives of mental health consumers and the homeless, a Christchurch primary school’s leadership programme, and for the development of a mobile app for Hello Sunday Morning, which seeks to change people’s relationship with alcohol.

And Kiwis have just a week to vote for the initiative they believe will most benefit their community in the 2015 MCF grants by registering their vote at http://mcfcommunitygrants.com.au/ before Friday 5 December. Five New Zealand projects have been shortlisted to share in grants worth $600,000. to get behind their chosen project

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