The Food Rescue* concept is simple; our team collects food that is good enough to eat but not good enough to sell, and redistributes it to local community organisations.

Food comes in from a variety of sources every day, including supermarkets, distributors, food manufacturers, local markets and cafes. On average, we receive about 2,500 kg of food daily, which would otherwise go to landfill. We also have a fruit picking team that picks fruit from orchards or local homes which is also added to the food rescue supply.

Our team then sorts, repackages and tailors the food to the specific needs of each community organisation who collect and redistribute it to the people they support.

All this food is shared with over 70 local frontline community organisations and individuals every week – positively impacting over 750 Kiwi households and an average of 5,000 people.

*Apart from food, we also rescue non-food items, such as sanitary and household items, that would otherwise go to landfill.

Food that we can receive:

• Food from regulated food providers
• Fresh produce, even with some bruising/decay
• Chopped fresh produce
• Prepared foods that are excess to requirements
• Frozen or fresh meat
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Frozen foods
• Pre-packaged foods or meals in original packaging
• Any food beyond Use By or Best Before dates, but still good enough to consume
• If in doubt, give us a call

Food that we cannot receive:

• Any food not fit for human consumption
• Food that is not from a regulated food provider
• Home prepared food
• Food where the packaging has been damaged so that the sanitary seal has been compromised – unless it concerns food that can be heated (e.g. pasta and rice)
• Oysters and/or shellfish
• Produce that is completely decayed

Non-food items that we can receive:

• Toiletries – deodorant, toilet paper, shower gel, shaving gel, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand wipes
• Household items – laundry liquid detergent, laundry powder, washing up liquid, paper towels
• Feminine products – sanitary towels and tampons
• Baby supplies – nappies, baby wipes and baby food

Community organisations supported by Aotearoa’s food rescue sector include family harm, mental health, older people, people with disabilities, teen parenting and homeless support teams along with early childhood and school food programmes. Recipient organisations are empowered in their work by the use of food and also save on their operating costs. Below are some of the community organisations that Good Neighbour supports.

We would like to acknowledge and applaud those who support Good Neighbour food rescue. Without them food would be wasted, lots of greenhouse gases generated and our community would not be such a great place to live.

The feedback we receive about our work really makes it worthwhile. Here are some examples:

‘’I am writing to say thank you so much for the food rescue the kindy receives every week. This helps our family out so much! Food is so expensive these days and feeding 4 kids is not an easy task. Without food rescue it would be even harder. Massive thanks!’’ – Hannah

“The biggest thank you to you and the Good Neighbour team for everything you do. It is making a huge difference in our communities. We are a part of Aritaki Kindy and appreciate the gift that you give us every Tuesday. This week I ran out of toilet paper and one of my sons had a friend coming over who is gluten free and I was able to get both items from the food rescue offerings 🙂 For a family of four boys – two of whom are teenagers and all of their friends, it is the biggest blessing in this crazy time where costs have gone up so much!” – Many thanks Abby

“To our friends at Good Neighbour, Thank you so much for the kai we receive each week. We are very grateful for your wonderful contributions to our meals for our whanau.” – Noho ora mai Carleen (Mockingbird)

“Food parcels have been helpful to keep us going for the week as we need the extra food” – Karl

“Each week, not only do I enjoy the fellowship of the lovely people at the community centre, but the food provided by Good Neighbour is great, I could never afford what I get, it is a real blessing. Thank you for all your hard work of those who organise it each week”

“Food parcels have helped my family when things have been tight and we ran out of food. Thank you very much for the lovely food parcel help.”

“The food parcels are a wonderful help for so many families and elderly residents. Thank you and please keep up the good work.”

“My clients were very grateful for the pies. They had their children home for the Christmas holidays and its been a struggle to buy groceries.  My clients said that the pies were yummy and their children enjoyed them.” – Michelle, Te Manu Toroa

“Under the Stars would not be able to provide all the meals we do without the incredible help and generosity of Good Neighbour and their supporters/donors. Our funding for food comes from donations within our community. If it wasn’t for the regular and substantial donations from Good Neighbour each week, we would have struggled to buy all that was needed to provide 5,088 hot, nutritious meals to our homeless and hungry guests.” – Laura, Under the Stars

And here are some testimonials provided to us by our community partner St Vincent de Paul:

Mrs H had been struggling to feed her children due to her rent going up by 45% since she moved into her home. Basics were now unaffordable for her. She was stressed and exhausted. When she visited St Vincent de Paul for help she found out Good Neighbour supported them by providing fresh vegetables and essential food items she was overcome by the community spirit to help others. And not only that, she was helping the planet by recycling food that is otherwise to go to waste. Mrs H has now taken two courses provided by Good Neighbour which has enabled her to grow her own vegetables, getting that satisfaction of helping herself and her family.

“I volunteer for St Vincent de Paul, I want to help people and give back, as I was helped years ago and know what a difference it made to my life with a simple act of kindness. I help with food parcels for clients processing them and organising deliveries. I was so overwhelmed by the food that is given to us by Good Neighbour’s Food Rescue. It makes the difference to how many people we can help. Having the fresh fruit and veges is such a treat for our clients, they are so appreciative of what they get from us, which could not happen without Good Neighbour’s support.”  Mrs C.