Members of the Kai Collective sort through potatoes to distribute to struggling families. Photo / Paul Taylor
Members of the Kai Collective sort through potatoes to distribute to struggling families. Photo / Paul Taylor
Three tonnes of potatoes were delivered to Flaxmere Baptist Church yesterday and will be distributed to struggling families by the Kai Collective group.
When Flaxmere Baptist church pastor Andrew Reyngoud received the call that a donation of three tonnes of potatoes would be arriving he thought, "that's going to bea little bit of a challenge".
He said that this number of potatoes was more than any one organisation could handle and that Kai Collective was the obvious choice for their distribution.
With the help of the many foodbanks and organisations that make up Kai Collective the process turned out to be easy.
It was "no hassle, no drama, a good fun thing," Mr Reyngoud said.
The potatoes were donated by Hastings food processors Vegeez and Transport company Toll also pitched in by providing a truck for the potatoes safe delivery to the church.
The potatoes will be distributed to financially struggling families in local suburbs.
Kai Collective committee member Brenda Wainonu was one of the many people volunteering to sort the potatoes at the church yesterday.
She said that having raised 10 children herself she understood that often money didn't stretch far enough to sufficiently cover all necessities such as food.
"I knew that this contribution of this many potatoes would feed the whanau (family) and their tamariki (children)"
She said that the donated potatoes would provide "a good hearty meal" for many families and that the help recieved from local businesses is greatly appreciated.
Locals are encouraged to let Kai Collective know of any food that may be eligible for donation and for organisations that could benefit from being on the collective's food distribution list to get in contact.
