Making a difference by saving food from going to waste

by By Sarah Cates
Saturday, Jan 26, 2019 4:24 PM

Many people are struggling to make ends meet. The queues of 300 that wrap around the Nourished for Nil (N4N) venue on Karamu Road in Hastings each day are testimony to this.

Nikki Gardner, one of the founding members of the food rescue group, is astonished.

She says, "When we started, almost two years ago at Landmarks Square in Hastings, I wouldn’t of thought for a minute that would be serving such a large segment of our community. It’s crazy! What we served in one week we now serve in one hour!”

The preparation room.

Two years ago, the group – motivated by the substantial amount of food waste that is dumped in landfill each year – decided to do something about it.

Christina McBeth comments, "I am intolerant to waste! I wanted to do something active to make a real difference. Food waste seemed like a simple thing to address as people actually need food”.

N4N started by collecting unpurchased food from cafés. Christina says, "Food from cafés is now the cream of our service! But we like to stay true to our original roots. These collections were the springboard for us”.

N4N continues to encounter resistance from many cafés and bakeries reluctant to donate food. Christina believes businesses hide behind health and safety concerns.

She says a "Good Samaritan” clause in the Food Act means that if food was cooked in the commercial kitchen and donated on the same day, the business is covered.

"I actually believe some of them don’t like what we do. You see, we give to everyone, not just the ‘poor and needy’. A community needs to look after the weakest links, these can be found at the bottom and all the way to the top.”

N4N can confidently count the numbers of people who come through their doors but the real number of people they reach is unknown.

Nikki, who now receives a wage for her tireless work says, "We were donated a truck by KiwiHarvest, a national food rescue organisation, which allowed us to head out into our community. I take food to five lots of state housing flats, I beep my horn and all the old folks come out and greet me. They take food for themselves and those that struggle to walk. I also deliver to four schools. I arrive when the bell rings so all members of the community can come to these spots”.

N4N provides food to satellite groups for community food sharing stands and organisations such as Salvation Army, Emergency Housing, and churches. Nikki adds, "Sometimes people are sent to us from WINZ for food parcels. We don’t give food parcels, they are restricted to two parcels a year. We give for free, all year round!”

103,000 tonnes of food waste generated by industry ends up in landfill each year. N4N managed to divert 350 tonnes of wasted food away from landfill and into people’s tummies.

Christina says, "The truth is, the food is out there and it’s finding its way to us. We are a well run organisation with many dedicated and skilled volunteers. The companies and people who donate food to us, confidently give, knowing it reaches those who need it”.

N4N is robustly supported by our Hawke’s Bay community and industry. Businesses give in many ways – financial donations that cover rent and bills, as well as donated food.

Nikki says, "We were donated a freezer from McCain’s, and they fill it with a pallet of frozen food each week. We get regular donations from ‘almost’ all our local supermarkets. Businesses like Simply Squeezed give us their ‘near to expiry’ products. And with Hawke’s Bay being the fruit bowl it is, we have a good supply of fresh produce from packhouses and orchards. We also get excess vegetables from people’s gardens!”

Nikki in front of the freezer donated by McCain’s.

Both Christina and Nikki feel they were naive about the extent of poverty in Hawke’s Bay. N4N has opened their eyes to the everyday struggles many of our community face.

Christina says, "It’s not just the classic stereotype ‘needy’ or homeless person that comes to our door. We have people from all walks of life. Frequently both parents in a family may be working but the weekly income does not provide enough for sudden, out-of-the-blue costs. It can be very hard for these people to ask for help! This is why we operate an ‘all welcome’ policy. We will never turn anyone away, never judge, or ask questions. We will simply serve”.

The resounding success of N4N can be chiefly attributed to its positive and highly organised culture. It has attracted a large number of volunteers who have found purpose and satisfaction within the work.

Christina says, "We started out with only four members! We now have 12 on our management team, five supervisors and 80 volunteers! We could not have grown like this without the support. For one hour of service it takes eight man hours of preparation!”

She adds, "For me the most surprising element that has come out of this is the volunteers. N4N has been life changing for many of them. You can’t premeditate these things, they happen organically. It’s a gift on its own”.

This year, N4N hopes to divert 500 tonnes of food away from landfill to people who need it. They also plan to open a distribution point in Napier.

This beautiful and inspirational story of a small group of people who wanted to make a difference, reminds me of a quote by Joseph Campbell: "When we follow our bliss, we are met by a thousand unseen helping hands”.