Gina Peiffer and Elmer Peiffer make dinners for the homeless five nights a week. Photo / File
Gina Peiffer and Elmer Peiffer make dinners for the homeless five nights a week. Photo / File
Six years ago, two Rotorua beneficiaries decided to start cooking dinners for the homeless.
Last year they received 12 tonnes of donated food from Countdown alone (or one per month on average) and fed between 20,000 and 25,000 people each month in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato.
In his view, "seeing smiles on faces when people receive help makes it worthwhile."
The couple doesn't publicise where they host dinners, but they make sure "the homeless know".
These people are often living on the street, in shacks or in cars.
To support families who aren't homeless, but have little leftover for food after paying bills and rent, the Peiffers started distributing food items seven days a week.
Now they do this at 16 different drop-off locations: from Rotorua to Murupara to Minginui, Taupō and Tūrangi.
"Seeing smiles on faces when people receive help makes it worthwhile," Elmer says. Photo / File
"People used to be whakamā [ashamed, shy] but when you see how many others come with the same needs, they begin to socialise and get to know one another. There's no shame."
Most of the food comes from Countdown's food rescue programme, but there are also two bakeries, two cafes and a restaurant donating in Rotorua.
"VIP Realty grows produce and donates to us too and another grower locally gives us their leftovers after selling at the farmers' market."
At least 25 volunteers help with the evening meals but the food distribution is mainly the work of Gina and Elmer.
The Peiffers have also branched into helping people find accommodation and supplying them donated furniture, appliances and other household items.
Gina Peiffer and Elmer Peiffer make dinners for the homeless five nights a week. Photo / File
As if they weren't doing enough, they're always on the lookout for more donors too.
"Please get in touch. Join the Love Soup Rotorua Facebook group."
Countdown general manager corporate affairs, safety and sustainability Kiri Hannifin said the business was proud to partner with Love Soup.
"They play such an important role in the community to ensure that food that might otherwise go to waste goes to those who need it most."
Hannifin said the supermarket chain had a goal towards zero food waste to landfill, and donating food that hadn't sold but was still good to eat "is a key part of this".
"Not only is food waste hugely detrimental to the environment, creating greenhouse gases as food rots in landfills, but it's also unacceptable given the number of children and families in our country going hungry each day."
Last year, Countdown donated $5.2 million of food to The Salvation Army, food rescue and foodbank charities and another $1.77m of food scraps was also donated to farmers and their animals.
Love Soup Rotorua • Started hosting dinners for Rotorua homeless, five days a week, in April 2014. • Helped house more than 300 families in first five years. • Received at least one tonne of donated food from Countdown per month in 2019, on average. Items were fruit, veges, bread and other bakery items. • Winners of Trustpower Community award, Kiwibank Local Hero awards.
