Participants at a SuperSkills Jubilee cooking class building confidence and practical skills while learning to prepare affordable, nutritious food together. Photo: Supplied

KiwiHarvest food rescue has been hard at work distributing over 320,000kg of rescued food from its Invercargill branch in the most recent financial year.

This was equivalent to more than 720,000 meals, a 14% increase on the previous year.

KiwiHarvest CEO Angela Calver said they worked to support hundreds of charities every week, and provided essential community services such as transitional housing, refugee support, and youth development.

“The impact of rescued food reaches much further than the meals it provides . . . food is often the bridge that allows deeper support and connection to happen,” she said.

Across Southland, 38 recipient agencies are supported, meaning KiwiHarvest helped reach 2200 people each week.

The supply of rescued food is also free, allowing the charities to continue using their resources for other services.

In Invercargill, one of the organisations KiwiHarvest supported was Jubilee Budget Advisory Service, which provides financial mentoring and support.

General manager Cherie Winder said access to food helped them continue to address financial challenges and take the pressure off.

“Every day we see the difference that practical support can make in people’s lives . . . KiwiHarvest food plays an important role in that journey.”

“It eases immediate pressure and helps us support people with dignity, compassion, and hope for the future,” she said.

Ms Calver highlighted how these partnerships help further push KiwiHarvest’s goal, while also supporting local charities

“Providing food free of charge means these organisations can stretch their limited resources further and focus more of their time and funding on the services that can make a real difference for people and whānau.”  — Allied Media