Impact Stories

At Happiness House, we meet people in all stages of struggle. One solo mother of five, facing soaring rent and no access to childcare, walks a tightrope each day, stretching every dollar, every hour, just to get by. There’s no neat ending to her story. But through the support of KiwiHarvest, we’re able to offer her something vital: a breath of relief. With weekly deliveries of fresh food, we’ve created a space where she, and many others can choose what they need without judgement.

It’s not just about groceries. It’s about dignity, connection, and restoring a sense of normalcy. People pick their own food, like anyone would. It’s real life, not charity. As she puts it: “The food I get from Happiness House allows me to be more present as a mum, because I don’t need to worry about putting food on the table for my kids.” KiwiHarvest helps us lighten an unbearable load, if only for a while. And sometimes, that’s enough to carry someone through.

One of our valued recipient agencies, Island Child Charitable Trust, shared the impact our food deliveries have had on their organisation and the families they serve: “On behalf of everyone at Island Child Charitable Trust, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude for your generous and ongoing support through your KiwiHarvest free rescue food delivery service. Your commitment to reducing food waste while simultaneously addressing food insecurity has had a meaningful impact on our organisation and, more importantly, on the lives of the individuals and families we support.

Thanks to your weekly deliveries, we have been able to provide nutritious meals to 85 persons daily in our Transitional House who might otherwise go without. In the past year we received 25,272kgs of nutritious food. This equates to approximately 56,160 meals and has a dollar value of $174,882.

By receiving this vital food support, we have been able to redirect valuable funding towards other critical services such as housing support, educational programmes, and nutrition and cooking skills which further strengthens the outcomes for our whānau. The quality and consistency of the food you rescue and deliver not only meet essential needs but also send a message of care and dignity to whānau facing difficult times.

We are proud to partner with a company that demonstrates such a strong sense of social responsibility. Your efforts help build a stronger, more compassionate community, and we are incredibly thankful for your support. There is no dollar value which can be put on good nutrition and food security. Thank you KiwiHarvest, what an incredible service you deliver!” This partnership is just one example of how rescued food creates ripple effects far beyond the plate, helping build hope, resilience, and brighter futures.

In July, KiwiHarvest had the privilege of supporting the NZ Police Community Youth Aid division in South Dunedin, providing urgent relief to a family of five in crisis. When police visited the home, they were met with a heartbreaking reality, bare cupboards, no fresh food, and the weight of daily survival clearly visible. Sadly, this isn’t an uncommon sight. For families already navigating incredibly tough circumstances, the absence of basic food supplies adds another layer of stress, anxiety, and hopelessness.

We responded immediately, supplying over 80 kilograms of nourishing food, from groceries and fresh produce to meat and vegetables. For the family, it was more than just a box of food; it was a sign that someone cared. Cameron, the local Youth Aid officer, shared that both he and the family were deeply moved and humbled by the generosity shown. This kind of support doesn’t just fill a fridge, it restores dignity, helps rebuild trust, and creates space for people like Cameron to do their vital work without the added burden of addressing hunger. Thanks to this timely intervention, the family is now back on track, free from the immediate worry of where their next meal will come from and filled with gratitude for the support they received in a moment of true need.

As the Director at Murihiku Young Parents Centre I feel very privileged to have KiwiHarvest partnering with us as our Young Mums (who are mostly solo mums living alone with their child) really appreciate having nutritious, fresh and healthy food.

There is never any food left over after it is dropped off as the girls appreciate everything that is given to them. “It really helps me with my budget (as a solo Mum) and my son is trying lots of new foods that are healthy for him. It is great to be supported with this food as we all really need it. It has made a huge difference to us.

Thank you.” Chakara Thank you for making this food available for our girls and their babies, it has continued to make such a difference for them especially with all the increasing costs they have.

For the past six years, Mere (name changed) has worked alongside one of our financial mentors to manage her household budget. In late 2024, she came back to Kootuitui feeling overwhelmed. With two of her older children having moved out, she was struggling to keep up with the rent on her five-bedroom home. After paying for rent and groceries, she felt there was little left to live on.

When we looked closer at her finances, we discovered that on top of everyday expenses, she was paying down significant debts, including over $100 a week to Afterpay. Together, she and her mentor created a budget that, while still in deficit, gave her a plan to move forward. Despite the challenges, Mere was determined to turn things around. Within a month, she proudly shared that she had finally cleared a bill she had been battling for more than two years. She set her sights next on paying off her Afterpay debt.

Seeing her determination, our financial mentor arranged weekly kai support through KiwiHarvest, helping Mere reduce her supermarket costs and free up more money for repayments. By July, just a few weeks later, Mere had fully paid off her Afterpay account and even welcomed a second boarder into her home to help with expenses. She expressed her deep gratitude for the combined support of her mentor and KiwiHarvest, which gave her the breathing room she needed to regain control of her finances.

Asylum Seekers Support Trust (ASST) is incredibly grateful for the support we have received from KiwiHarvest. Our organisation supports asylum seekers, who are individuals and families are awaiting the outcome of their claim to refugee status. They can be especially vulnerable in this time, and often have a lack of access to rights and resources, causing extreme hardship. This hardship and lack of resources, mean the most essential needs cannot be covered, including food, shelter and basic living items.

ASST aims to meet these, but it could not be possible without support, such as that provided by KiwiHarvest. Our support for these refugee claimant individuals and families, includes providing weekly food boxes to those in the most need. KiwiHarvest has supported us for many years, and has included providing us with 31,590kgs of nutritious food between 01/04/2024 – 31/03/2025. This food provided has been essential to our food programme, especially keeping up with the increasing need for our support. In this same time period, we provided close to 7,000 food boxes to our community. A lot of our new arrival families who receive these boxes have no income, and rely solely on these boxes to provide the vital food items for their day to day living.

Our organisation has very limited resources, yet supports over 1,600 clients per year, showing just how essential having the generosity from KiwiHarvest is to our ongoing services. Security of our food programme is something very important to us, as many food programmes have been closing recently due to limited resources. We have been so lucky that KiwiHarvest has supported us to meet the growing need of food for the refugee community.