The move to a new premises will allow long-running local food charity Food for Love to right-size for increasing demand.

Food for Love has gone from preparing and delivering 1,700 meals a year in 2020-2021 to over 9,000 meals in the last financial year. 

Its new space on Gordon Road - which it will be operating out of by August 12 - has plenty of room for its cooking and storage needs, an office space, and even room for a volunteer lounge. 

Food for Love announced its move in an email to volunteers.

“We are so excited and can’t wait to share this new space with you all,” Food for Love said in the email.

It gave a “heartfelt thank you” to its previous landlord, as well as the people who assisted with negotiations, contracts, insurances, budgets and logistics and made the move possible.

Food for Love, a registered charitable trust, was created in 2016 and its mission remains the same as it was then - to provide home-cooked meals for families or individuals going through a hard time, regardless of whether the need is financial or personal. 

At its recent annual general meeting, it said an average of 180 meals were made each week, the majority of which are given to new parents (28.6 percent) and those suffering illness (22.9 percent), post surgery (18.2 percent) and injury (13.9 percent).

Its total expenses for the last financial year exceeded $185k.

Most of its income is derived from grants and donations as well as fundraising efforts partnering with local businesses, organisations and events, such as Mitre10, the Wānaka Business Chamber, the Wānaka A&P Show and the Hirepool Trilogy Golf Tournament.

Central Lakes Trust gave a grant of more than $98k to the charity last year. 

Food For Love is a registered charitable trust. Find out more here.

PHOTO: Wānaka App