Countdown and Tauranga non-profit organisation Good Neighbour teamed up to help local families in need through food waste minimisation, as part of the Food Rescue program.
Good Neighbour has just started its initial collection of frozen foods and meat from Countdown Bureta Park, but other products will soon be included, involving all five Countdown stores in the area, namely Bethlehem, Fraser Cove, Greerton and Tauranga.
“This will enable us to increase our recovery of food, which is currently 2 tonnes per week, and improve the variety and quantity of food we provide to our existing 26 charities. We will also be able to add more charities and better resource them to assist those in need in our community,” said John Paine, manager at Good Neighbour. As a start, Countdown has donated $500 worth of groceries and $500 of supermarket vouchers.
Involving a number of charity partners, Countdown’s Food Rescue aims at donating food that is still fit to be consumed, and last year has helped deliver $3.5 million worth of food throughout New Zealand.
