Salvation Army Queenstown and the Sir John Kirwan Foundation were announced as winners of Impact100 Whakatipu grants on Thursday night, each receiving $100,000 for their projects.
Salvation Army Queenstown will use the grant for its "Under One Roof" project, to develop a social supermarket in Queenstown at its larger Remarkables Park site, which opened almost two years ago.
At present, the food bank service runs from the charity’s Gorge Rd site, near Queenstown’s CBD.
Salvation Army regional relationships manager Jade Zeina said the funding would "completely change and transform how we serve this community".
"Our food bank is going to be a ‘social supermarket’, which will leave a legacy for decades to come."
The Sir John Kirwan Foundation’s "Mitey" programme would also leave a long-lasting legacy.
It aims to provide mental health education to children in years 1 to 8, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to recognise and respond to mental health issues in themselves and others, and ensure schools have the necessary resources and support.
"Educating our children about mental health is critical in reducing the rates of youth suicide in our community," foundation chief executive Sarah Manley said.
"We are grateful to have the opportunity to bring this programme to the Wakatipu."
Other finalists this year — all of which highlighted the often-unseen challenges facing the community — were Queenstown Citizens Advice Bureau, which wants to establish a free immigration advice service, Te Atamira arts and cultural hub, for an extra staff member to strengthen its curatorial and community outreach programme, and the Wakatipu High School Foundation, for a wellbeing programme to support the school’s growing diversity of ethnicities.
Impact100 Whakatipu chairwoman Clare Irons said each finalist received $3000, which was matched by the MacTodd Community Charitable Trust.
While every year she was "amazed" by the calibre of organisations serving the community, the two winning charities this year "truly reflect the heart of Impact100", because they were addressing needs, building resilience and creating lasting change.
"To be able to gift $100,000 to each of them, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, is an extraordinary privilege."
The next call for applications from Wakatipu charities would open in May, while any woman could join the collective by registering her interest online.
Founded in 2020, each member of Impact100 gives $1000 a year to a funding pool.
Charities then apply to receive the grant, the beneficiaries of which are determined by members’ votes.
To date, Impact100 Wakatipu, whose parent charity is 45South Community Foundation, has granted over $1.1 million to charitable organisations in the area.
