Last year, it distributed about 30 to 35 tonnes of food a month. Now, nearly 100 tonnes of food that would have otherwise gone to landfill goes out to the community every month.
Chris Skelton/Stuff
Foodbank Canterbury chief executive Dr John Milligan says the organisation is struggling to meet demand but has been repeatedly rejected for funding. New Zealanders throw out about $870 million worth of food every year, or 122,547 tonnes (about 10,212 tonnes a month). Before Covid-19, Foodbank Canterbury received individual pleas for food just four times a week – now it s more than 30 times a day. One tradie and his wife were sharing a peanut butter sandwich for tea so their four kids could eat. Milligan says he burst into tears when the man told him he d never asked for help before, but needed it now.