Spotlight on a Member: Kaibosh Kāpiti-Horowhenua

Kaibosh, Kāpiti’s awesome food rescue and redistribution organisation, hosted ‘Soup Night’ at its impressive Sheffield Street warehouse recently, to celebrate all the great work that its soup-er volunteers have achieved since it started in Kāpiti just over three years ago.

The evening’s festivities began with a welcome from Kaibosh’s Chief Executive, Susie Robertson as staff, volunteers, friends and family tucked into canapes and a variety of delicious beverages including home-made lemonade. Kaibosh’s Volunteer Co-ordinator, Aimee Bowden updated everyone on the amazing work that volunteers at had achieved to date, noting that 5 volunteers had completed over 100 hours’ volunteering and one had just hit the 200 hour mark! Six of the current volunteers had been with Kaibosh since day one, including one of Volunteer Kapiti’s Trustees, Amy Helm - pictured here with her certificate recognising 3 years of achievement.

Everyone then sat together to enjoy delicious bowls of soup and sourdough bread, followed by nostalgic spongy pudding and icecream, all made from rescued ingredients and served by some enthusiastic young volunteers.

Together with 2 managers in Kapiti and 3 paid drivers (all part time), 28 regular volunteers receive, sort, quality check, package up and send food donations to community groups across the region for onward distribution to local residents. About 75% of the food donated is fresh produce, meat and dairy, including over 13,000kg of pears received over the past 2 years.

In just three years, volunteers at Kaibosh have completed 3,000 hours of great mahi, rescuing about 444,000 kilos of food – that’s about 1,269,000 meals – saving 117,700kg in carbon emissions through avoiding food going to landfill.