SKGF are leaders for change. Through our thoughtfully designed programmes and working alongside our community, SKGF believes in supporting whānau who are on a journey, and not simply being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
Using wellness assessments, budgeting education and the support of more than 30 local agencies, SKGF are able to guide our clients and community to achieve real and lasting change. We offer wrap around supports to each whānau and take pride in our collective approach to wellness and kai security.
Kai Assist is for those in our community experiencing food insecurity
Kai Assist is our foundational programme, delivering kai packs (17–20kg each) to whānau experiencing food insecurity.
In FY2025, we distributed 6,883 packs to 1,479 families.
Kai Grow is all about supporting our community through gardens
We work with the local community to make the most of private and public spaces for growing kai. This includes education around what to grow and when, how to raise seedling as well as the creation of market and urban gardens.
Kai Grow supports gardens at locals schools and community sites, and our flagship Muriwai site, which grew over 37,000 seedlings this year producing thousands of kilos of fresh produce for kai packs.
Kai Learn is South Kaipara Good Food’s educational programme aimed at filling people’s knowledge kete
Kai Learn offers workshops like Cooking with Pantry Staples and Food Budgeting Like a Pro, empowering whānau with skills for everyday life, as well as working alongside local schools in their gardens and kitchens.
“It’s not just about the food, it’s about the people and social side too. I always learn something and enjoy a laugh too.”
Over 134 participants have attended sessions this year, often co-hosted with local groups and schools.
We believe in working with our community on how to make good food choices, grow food sustainably, work with food rescue and zero waste programmes and other special interest topics as may arise.
Preventing Food Waste, Supporting Families in South Kaipara
Kai Rescue diverts surplus food from landfill and redistributes it through our programmes. In FY2025, we rescued 107,625kg of food, preventing 322,875kg of CO₂ emissions and saving 68 million litres of water.
“Being able to work alongside SKGF to divert food from the local pig farmer or pay a levy for waste management has been a great step forward.” – LG
We collaborate with Woolworths, KiwiHarvest, Fair Food, New Zealand Food Network, Four Square, Living Goodness, Gourmet Paprika, Superb Herb and others to ensure good food reaches those who need it.
South Kaipara Good Food is one of 36 members of the Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance (AFRA) and is committed to preventing nutritious edible food from going to landfill.
Food is a basic human right, yet in New Zealand, billions of dollars of edible food is wasted each year. It is diverted to landfills – while one in five children live in households facing food insecurity.
