A reduction in government funding for food rescues could affect the local organisations supplying food to a growing number of people in need in the Upper Clutha. 

Demand for the Community Networks/LINK Wānaka Foodbank and Food for Love have increased substantially but one of their top suppliers, food rescue charity KiwiHarvest, is now at risk.

With food rescue sector funding recently slashed from $11M to $1M and rising rent at its Frankton depot, KiwiHarvest is now scrambling to find support to continue its operation - which rescued and redistributed over 120,000kg of food in the last year alone.

It needs community support to raise the $50,000 cost of moving its operation to a new site.

The organisation provides valuable food contributions to the Wānaka Foodbank, as well as numerous other charity partners. PHOTO: Supplied

Community Networks/LINK community development coordinator Joanna Perry told the Wānaka App KiwiHarvest’s contributions to the food bank were “absolutely invaluable”.

The foodbank provides food parcels to people in need and it distributed a record 102 food parcels to 216 people and households in July “and the demand is only set to increase”.

“Without them, we simply would not be able to provide this level of support,” she said. 

Food for Love, which delivers free, home-cooked meals for people in need in the community, is another local organisation which receives rescued food from KiwiHarvest.

Demand for its service has increased 382 percent since 2020 and KiwiHarvest has been supplying food for Food for Love for the past year and a half.

Volunteers preparing meals for Food for Love PHOTO: Wānaka App

In addition to Upper Clutha organisations, KiwiHarvest also redistributes food for Queenstown organisations including Happiness House and Baskets of Blessings, among others.

“We are a small team, but a big and vital part of helping that community with essential food,” KiwiHarvest branch manager Gary Hough said.

With greatly reduced government funding and its lease ending soon, KiwiHarvest risks having to significantly downsize and reduce capability.

It has been offered the use of Wakatipu Community Hub Trust land, but it needs support to set up the site - which will require earthworks, landscaping, acquiring insulated containers to store food, and more. 

Anyone who would like to make a contribution can visit the KiwiHarvest Givealittle page.

“We hope our community will get behind supporting the Kiwi Harvest team and the amazing mahi they do, here and over the hill,” Joanna said.