KiwiHarvest – Rescuing food to nourish our community

Powered by the positivity of incredible people who want to make a difference, KiwiHarvest is making a real impact in Wānaka. Since March 2022, Community Link has been proud to partner with KiwiHarvest, receiving weekly food deliveries – sometimes even twice a week – for our Foodbank. KiwiHarvest also supports other local organisations including Food for Love and Kahu Youth Trust.

In that time, over 52,000kg of quality surplus food has been delivered to the Foodbank – the equivalent of 115,587 meals. It’s not only nourishing our community but also protecting our environment by saving food from landfill. In the last financial year alone, Community Link received almost 22,000kg of food, putting close to 50,000 meals on the tables of locals who may otherwise have gone without.

KiwiHarvest is New Zealand’s perishable food rescuer, collecting good food before it goes to waste and redistributing it to those in need. The Wānaka arm of KiwiHarvest began around two and a half years ago with six volunteers using their own vehicles. In January this year, the team welcomed a dedicated vehicle, fondly nicknamed Lilly.

Gary Gough, KiwiHarvest’s Queenstown branch manager, said Lilly’s arrival has “significantly increased the collection capacity in Wānaka and allowed for the collection of refrigerated food for the first time.” While Wānaka donations are still being supplemented from Queenstown, the goal is clear: “we want to get to a point where we are closer to Wānaka supporting Wānaka.”

Find out more about the work of Kiwi Harvest here: kiwiharvest.org.nz

KiwiHarvest Needs Wānaka Volunteers!

Since 2022, KiwiHarvest has been rescuing good food from going to waste and redistributing it to our community. In partnership with Community Link, over 52,000kg of surplus food (the equivalent of 115,587 meals!) has made its way onto local tables instead of landfill.

But here’s the thing – KiwiHarvest can’t do this without local volunteers. 💚

They’re urgently looking for people to join the Food Rescuers - Wānaka truck team, helping collect and deliver food that directly supports the Community Link Foodbank, Food for Love, Kahu Youth Trust, and more.

🙌 Volunteering with KiwiHarvest means:
✅ Fighting food waste
✅ Nourishing local families
✅ Strengthening our community

If you’ve got a little time, a big heart, and want to make a difference right here in Wānaka, KiwiHarvest would love to hear from you.

Want to know more or sign up? Click here.