Kaibosh To Establish New Hub In Petone To Meet Community Demand For Food Relief

Kaibosh Food Rescue is expanding to ensure larger volumes of surplus food reach charities and community groups that support people in need, instead of being needlessly discarded.

The food rescue charity is moving their Lower Hutt premises to a large facility in Petone. This will become their central base, from where they'll redistribute food to communities in Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Kāpiti, and Horowhenua.

Kaibosh General Manager Matt Dagger says as the effects of the COVID-19 crisis hit many in the community, more and more people are in need of food relief. "Many are doing it tough. At the same time, there’s still plenty of quality surplus food available - we just need to make sure we get it to where it’s most needed. By opening our new site in Petone, we'll be able to ensure more people are fed and less quality food is wasted."

It's been a busy year for Kaibosh. They opened a new branch in Kāpiti and maneuvered their way in and out of the COVID-19 Alert Levels, ensuring the flow of good food to people in need never stopped. So far this year Kaibosh has rescued more than 248,000 kilos of kai, feeding thousands of Kiwis and reducing carbon emissions.

Dagger says Kaibosh has seen an increase in the volumes of food from current donors, and new donors have committed to providing quality surplus food, in particular the New Zealand Food Network, who distribute food from producers, growers, and wholesalers around the country.

"We're able to expand our work because of the incredible amount of support we've received in 2020, from large funders and individual supporters. We feel very fortunate to all those who have given to support our work, especially during a challenging time."

Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry was happy to see Hutt City Council provide funding for the move. “Kaibosh is very effective at collecting and distributing food, and Hutt City Council is happy to support their expansion. This will allow Kaibosh to help address the need in the wider Wellington region, and install better food waste practices here in Lower Hutt.”

Dagger says moving Kaibosh's physical operations is just the first step. "As we move into a post-COVID environment we’re asking people to join our community of Food Rescue Heroes, donating funds each month to help feed people in need. With many struggling right now it’s even more vital that good food reaches those who are hungry."

This October become a Kaibosh Food Rescue Hero. Find out more: kaibosh.org.nz

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