HELL Pays It Forward - Raises $70,000 For National Food Rescue Organisations

Kiwis ‘Paying it Forward’ has taken on a new meaning with HELL raising $70,000 to support 15 food rescue organisations around the country, who each provide food to people in need, as Delta impacts more communities and families.

Kaibosh

Surpassing its initial goal of raising $66,666, HELL matched dollar for dollar the equivalent value of vouchers purchased from any of its 75 stores during October’s ‘Pay it Forward’ campaign. It follows 2020’s highly successful drive to raise money for the Neonatal Trust and means HELL’s generous customers have now raised around $140,000 in two years to support community organisations in need.

Food Rescues are playing a crucial role in the Covid-19 response. They take surplus or unused food from supermarkets, cafes, producers, and restaurants and deliver it to organisations supporting people who need a bit of extra help. This also substantially reduces food waste saving millions of kilos of food each year from being needlessly discarded.

Matt Dagger runs Kaibosh, Wellington’s food rescue service and helped organise the campaign. He says the $70,000 will help the 15 food rescues recover additional operation costs they’ve incurred this year under Delta.

“In August and September alone, we gave more than 112,000 kilos of food to groups supporting people in need. The restrictions are tough; chances are, if you were doing it tough before August’s Lockdown, it got tougher. We’re acutely aware of the elevated levels of need in impacted places like Auckland and Northland, and the mahi food rescue groups are doing there to support their people,” he says.

“Lockdowns cut people off from the networks they would usually rely on, which can make it harder to reach people in need. This funding will be invaluable in supporting the 15 food rescue groups to source and share food resources where they are really needed,” Matt says.

Ben Cumming, CEO of HELL, says supporting the food rescues is an important part of the business’s response to Covid-19.

“For us, it’s about supporting those who need help - the work Kaibosh does alone opened our eyes to the largely unknown role the food rescue network plays in New Zealand. We know there’s still more tough times to come, so I want to thank everyone who purchased a voucher to pay it forward - your small act goes a long way in helping sustain communities across the country,” he says.

The 15 Food Rescues that were part of the campaign and received funds from HELL’s donations to match gift vouchers are:

1. Food Rescue Northland
2. Love soup, Auckland
3. Fair Food, West Auckland
4. The Hub, Te Puke
5. Kiwi Community Assistance, Porirua
6. Nourished for Nil, Hastings
7. Good Neighbour, Tauranga
8. Halo, Taupo/Tokoroa/Levin
9. Just Zilch, Palmerston North
10. The Free Store, Wellington
11. Kaibosh, Wellington/Hutt Valley/ Kapiti Horowhenua
12. Rotorua Whakaora, Rotorua
13. Foodbank Aotearoa
14. Go Eco, Waikato
15. Kai Rescue, Nelson

About HELL:

Established in Wellington in 1996, HELL pizza has grown to become one of New Zealand’s most infamous and well-known brands. With more than 70 franchises throughout New Zealand and over 1100 staff, it produces more than 75,000 free-range pizzas every week. With a focus on quality, it offers Kiwi consumers an ethical option in convenience foods. Supporting a range of causes - including the New Zealand Book Awards, and IHC’s Project Active, HELL is an active member of the communities in which it operates.

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