For immediate release 16 December 2003

Post People Rally Together For Their Communities

Foodbank shelves around the country are better stocked this week after Post people rallied together to donate 2.3 tonnes of desperately needed household staples.

With 17,000 employees and contractors spread nation-wide, the New Zealand Post Group wanted to take advantage of both its reach and distribution network to deliver food for those in need this Christmas.

The food collection took place at most New Zealand Post worksites between Monday 1 and Wednesday 9 December. While New Zealand Post staff participated, the initiative also involved Courier Post, Skyroad and Pace! drivers, Rural Post Contractors, Kiwibank, ECN Group and Datamail staff.

According to New Zealand Post Chief Executive, John Allen, the company’s extensive network and the decision to collect and deliver food locally made the foodbank collection such a success.

“This collection was about local Post people doing something for their community. New Zealand Post has played a vital role in New Zealand for over 160 years and new initiatives like this are just another way we can enrich the part we play at the local level.

“We were able to make full use of our mail and courier networks to collect the food from our worksites, collate it into regional clusters and deliver direct to the local foodbank.”

In an effort to match the contribution of Post people, New Zealand Post also donated $50,000 to foodbanks nation-wide. The food was divided by regions based on the level of demand they anticipate at this time of year.

ENDS

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