Whanganui's Koha Food Collective loses food due to unplugged fridges

An unplugged freezer is reducing the amount of food the Koha Kai Collective has to give away, committee member Azian Zulkifli says. Photo / Bevan Conley

A charitable group that has been providing food for an average of 235 people each weekend has been caught short this week because its fridges and freezers were unplugged.

The Koha Food Collective has been distributing food from its "free food supermarket" at All Saints Hall in Whanganui East on Fridays from 4.30 to 6pm.

When committee member Azian Zulkifli arrived on Thursday to set up she was immediately alarmed. She couldn't hear the sound of fridges and freezers and she could smell rotten food.

She estimates that $800 to $1000 worth of food has been lost, including meat, pies, frozen soups and bread.

For people who come looking for a weekend food top-up on Friday, she had this message.

"We always do the best we can.

"If anybody has any food they can spare, even if it's tinned products or lemons off a tree, we are always really grateful."

People with food can drop it off at the hall from 1pm to 3.30pm.

Zulkifli has made a complaint of wilful damage to police, because the one plug to two freezers and two fridge freezers was pulled out of its socket. It's not easy to get at, and she believes it was intentionally removed.

It's the third complaint she has made to police since February 5. All have been about interference in the collective's work.