Kāore te kumara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka. The kumara does not speak of its own sweetness. So, when I asked for the volunteers at Gizzy Kai Rescue (GKR) to talk about themselves, they weren’t very forthcoming, at first. I tried to squeeze some sweetness out of the manager, Lauren Beattie, but she would not have it, and redirected any praise toward the volunteers and founders of GKR instead. Vital too, she says, are the businesses and people who donate food and the recipients who distribute it. GKR’s purpose isn’t only to feed people, (although that is arguably the most important part of what they do), they also aim to reduce food waste.
Food rescue is a hot topic right now. Recently, the Government’s chief science advisor released a series of five reports written over two years which identified that almost half of all food is wasted globally. That’s a whopping 40%. On a local level, GKR has been operating for five years, and in that time they have redistributed 330 tons of food. (If you prefer a visual idea of how much food that is, it’s the weight of 33 elephants). In 2023 alone, GKR provided over 70,000 kgs of food and other goods to 15 community recipient groups. Perfectly good bread, bakery items, produce, meat, frozen goods, dairy, cereal, toiletries, cleaning products and even pet food were spared from being unnecessarily dumped.
GKR is an organisation built on two solid pillars: environmental and social impact. Redistributing the equivalent of 83033 meals locally in a year, $242,303 of retail value, means that 113,226 kgs of carbon emissions are simultaneously avoided. An average of 5500 kgs of goods per month is diverted from landfill. Efficiency of process means there is no waste and no hunger. GKR have a diverse and sustainable funding model. Steadfast to their values, they source food locally and nationally through the NZ food network in a shared, non partisan way. It’s about the need, says Lauren. We are not at the mercy of political trends or populous politics.
This is a low input organisation that produces solid measurable impacts. Their ecological footprint is light. Volunteers work out of a fitted out garage with a couple of industrial fridges and a van. Food safety is paramount, and food is carefully checked and weighed before it’s packed. GKR is a stellar example of what an interconnected, collaborative and circular local economy looks like. Historically, it was not uncommon to see gatekeeping among community organisations as there was often a scramble for funding. GKR has modelled change for how we work.
By distributing to recipient community groups, the kai covers the whole rohe, from Hicks Bay to Wairoa, and continued to provide food all through Covid and severe weather disasters when they were undoubtedly most needed.
There are over 30 volunteers at GKR, and in the end I was able to coax a few into speaking to me. They range in age from 17 to 70+. All chose to offer their service to GKR as it resonated with two strong beliefs they had.
“One, that we should not be overloading Papatūānuku with manmade rubbish,” says an unnamed volunteer. “Rubbish has become such a huge problem in many parts of the world. Therefore, the rationale which started GKR represented a way I could contribute to solving a problem I was concerned about. I could do something practical. The other concern was why we were allowing people in our community to go hungry when there was food available. In this region we grow so much food and excess was often wasted. Now, many firms and growers contribute excess to GKR to be distributed. At the present time is so important that surplus is shared. It is not only beneficiaries who are stressed by trying to feed their families, but even working families, who are struggling with high rent and electricity costs.”
Roy and Betsy enjoy helping those who benefit from the redistribution of food and products. “It helps enormously to supplement their incomes and provide for their families. During times of hardship such as cyclones etc, it gives many hope and courage in a desperate situation that might otherwise have seemed hopeless. This support in the community would otherwise have to be provided for by other avenues, creating a financial burden on another sector/group.”
Anna Worsey is one of the younger volunteers who had just moved to Gisborne from the South Island and wanted to donate some of her free time to contributing to her community. She aligns strongly with GKR’s values and the wider mission to reduce food waste and respond to food insecurity.
“My day job is working with community led, environmentally focused, not-for-profit organisations similar to GKR, so I felt I may be able to contribute in a variety of ways – small, but important to those who need it in my community first and foremost, all while reducing food waste and its environmental impact. The order of these is important as I always felt a strong pull towards environmental protection but volunteering at GKR (among other things) has shifted my focus to a more ‘people first’ approach. I feel this is super important because caring for the environment is a luxury when people’s basic needs (like access to good food) are not supported.”
Volunteers all share a common concern that in an ideal world GKR would not need to exist. However, this is our reality, and in the meantime it is providing a crucial service to our community. They have seen the organisation grow and become more efficient. “We are also giving out food to more organisations than when it started. This growth of inward and outward has been a great evolution to watch.”
They are not there for the pay or praise but they are committed to doing what is needed, even extra, if required. “The teams have settled on how each group does their tasks and many of us are now firm friends. Manaakitanga is threaded through the groups. Care and concern for each other is part of the culture.”
Reka. They may not speak of their own sweetness, but this writer knows for sure how sweet GKR are, and how much our community appreciates and values their service. To raise awareness, 29th September has been designated as International Food Loss and Waste Day.
You can find out more on GKR website: https://www.gizzykairescue.org/ , Facebook and Insta.
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