Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive
Te Tai Poutini Kai Puku is the West Coast’s first dedicated food rescue service.
Based in Hokitika, Kai Puku operates under the umbrella of Poutini Waiora – Health & Social Services.
Kai Puku are members of the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance Network: www.AFRA.org.nz and are food hub recipients of the New Zealand Food Network.
We are a fledgling project with a commitment to increase local food access. Our kaupapa is to move towards more connected communities that can share and increase resources, nurture sustainability and contribute to tiaki Papatūānuku/caring for our land through reducing fit-to-eat food waste, and by recycling and composting.
What we do
Our first-phase model operates by gathering rescued and surplus, fit to eat, healthy, fresh and ambient food, donated by local supermarkets and national food networks.
We then re-distribute from our hub to charitable organisations who meet face to face/kanohi ki te kanohi with whānau and individuals in need in our regions communities.
Who are our Recipient Organisations?
Current Kai Puku recipient organisations are made up of a diverse range of charities, not for profit organisations and community health and social services including local hapū groups.
Where will the kai go?
Kai Puku food recipient services cover a broad area from Hokitika, Greymouth/Mawhera, Westport/Kawatiri, Reefton, Ikamatua, South Westland and Haast.
Food Banks, Community Open Houses, Free Community Meals, Senior Citizen Groups, Family Services, Whānau Ora Navigators, Social Service Workers are involved in passing on the free kai.
We encourage our organisations to have no or minimal barriers for those who seek food support.
The Food Rescue Flow
This graph shows flow of the food rescue ecosystem between donors & NZFN, AFRA members such as Kai Puku and the recipients Organisatons/Charities.
Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance Map
Kai Puku is not open to the public for food parcels at this time, instead servicing organisations working with the public.
Resource
If your business is interested in donating food, or your organisation would benefit from receiving food for those in need please email Christine Barton: christine.barton@poutiniwaiora.co.nz