Bay of Plenty food charities receive chunk of $1 million supermarket donation

Elma and Gina Peiffer from Rotorua Whakaora. Photo / File

A number of Bay of Plenty charities are set to benefit as Countdown supermarkets kickstart their Food for Good Foundation with a $1.5 million donation.

Rotorua Whakaora, Tauranga's Good Neighbour, Katikati's Foodbank, The Salvation Army and KidsCan were all local beneficial charities selected to receive a share of the mammoth donation.

Most of the donation was to go to 35 different food welfare and rescue charities around the country, with a further $500,000 in financial support for Countdown's food rescue partners.

The foundation was set up to help food charities in the wake of Covid-19. This was on top of the supermarket's community support already.

"At Countdown we're a team of 20,000 proud New Zealanders, and there is not a single one of us who wants to see other Kiwis struggling or going without food in a nation that produces so much," said Kiri Hannifin, Countdown's general manager of corporate affairs, safety and sustainability.

"That's why our Food for Good Foundation's initial $1.5 million of funding will focus on ensuring 35 food charities are supported around the country, and that as much surplus food as possible can be collected from our stores and redistributed to people in need."

She said their charity partners were not seeing the increased need for food going away and longer-term financial support was vital.

"Establishing the Food for Good Foundation will allow us to structure and provide our support in a way that best benefits our communities, sets our charity partners up for the long-term, and aligns with our objective, which is to use food for good," she said.

The Salvation Army's territorial community ministries director Jono Bell, said foodbanks around the country had been inundated with requests for help.

"The reality is that Aotearoa already had significant food poverty and food insecurity - this isn't a new problem.

"However, we're now seeing an influx of people who have lost their jobs, or whose salary or wages have been reduced. These are households all over the country, from all different backgrounds, who can no longer meet their rent or mortgage costs, or pay their bills."

Over the coming month, the Foundation will set out its 2020-2021 plans including opportunities for customers to also get involved.

The charities set to benefit from the initial $1 million kickstart donation:

The Salvation Army $100,000

KidsCan $100,000

Auckland City Mission $50,000

Wellington City Mission $50,000

Christchurch City Mission $50,000

Lifeline $50,000

Red Cross New Zealand $20,000

Kiwiharvest $80,000

Foodbank Canterbury $55,000

Fair Food $50,000

Kaivolution $50,000

Kaibosh $50,000

Good Neighbour $40,000

Kiwi Community Assistance $30,000

Just Zilch $25,000

Nourished for Nil $25,000

Love Soup Hibiscus Coast $25,000

Rotorua Whakaora $25,000

Kai Rescue Nelson $20,000

Satisfy Food Rescue $20,000

Waiwaste Masterton $15,000

Huntly Friendship House $10,000

Halo Charitable Trust $10,000

Gizzy Kai Rescue $10,000

Rural Women $10,000

Mangere Budgeting Service $10,000

Northland Food Rescue $5000

Dargaville Community Foodbank $5000

Blenheim Foodbank $3000

Hawea Foodbank $3000

Manchester House Feilding $2000

Katikati Foodbank $2000

Matamata Foodbank $2000

Morrinsville Ezekiel Trust Foodbank $2000

Waiheke Resourcing Trust $1000