Frankton Food Riders to the Rescue…
Frankton Food Rescue Riders may sound like the latest action movie heroes, and well, they are, but theirs is a much more vital role.
Kiwi Harvest’s Gary Hough is on the look-out for at least six regular volunteer riders to take on the Frankton café and restaurant run on their new cargo-style e-bike. He’s hoping to get buy-in from Frankton businesses keen to release different staff fortnightly as part of a three-day-a-week morning roster, each only needed for 90 minutes to two hours.
A similar offer from Crowne Plaza manager Stewart Manson, who’s been releasing 27 of his 78 staff on full pay to do the voluntary e-bike food surplus collections and deliveries in the CBD, has worked wonderfully and Hough is hoping others will follow suit.
Manson says food waste and rescue has been a talking point in the hotel and they wanted to take the lead in developing their relationship with Kiwi Harvest further. “We’ve gone above and beyond volunteering our fully-trained team and they ride around seven cafés between them three days a week, dropping the surplus food – muffins, croissants, cakes, pies and sandwiches, to the Salvation Army.”
Staff are released from work for the deliveries on full pay and he says it’s been a huge morale booster and a great way of fostering further the culture they want to create in their team.
“It’s been so positive. It’s brought us together. It shows that our hotel cares for the community and about minimising waste.”
He says it’s been so rewarding for all of those involved as the charities are always so thankful to receive the food. ‘I’d recommend any corporate company or business to get involved.”
Hough says individual volunteers are welcomed too and are all given full training ready to collect the surplus food, mostly focusing on Five Mile cafés, and delivering to allocated charities in the area. These include the Rewi’s kai parcel food support programme, Whakatipu Youth Trust hub and Abbeyfield.
“It’s a fun way to get outdoors and be involved in a worthwhile community cause,” Hough says.
To register: https://volunteersouth.org.nz/roles/2170/food-rescue-e-bike-rider-frankton
