Get Involved
Volunteer
Our team is supported by 170+ volunteers to ensure that we can meet the challenging and unexpected needs of the Upper Clutha community.
OUR VOLUNTEERS
Our volunteers have a real commitment to those in Wānaka who are having a difficult time and can just benefit from a warm meal delivered to their door with a lot of love.
Each week, we receive nominations from the community recommending people who could use a warm meal delivered to their home. These nominations come from individuals and some organisations and no nominee is ever turned down.
This is where our volunteers step in and provide support in many different ways. We have many different ways you can get involved with Food For Love as a volunteer. All of our volunteering programmes offer flexibility to fit around your lifestyle.
HOME COOKS
Our home cooks prepare meals in their own home kitchens and then personally deliver them to individuals or families living in the Upper Clutha who are going through a challenging time.
Each week our Operations Manager puts a call out to see who is free to cook in the coming week. Once they know the availability of the home cooks, each available cook is paired up with an individual or family in need.
They are provided information regarding the dietary and household requirements and then work with our Operations Manager to plan out a meal and collect the key ingredients needed.
They then prepare the meal at home. Once it is ready the home cook personally delivers their meal to the individual or family.
GROUP COOKS
A dedicated team of volunteers meet weekly to cook and plate up meals for our elderly nominees, plus any individuals and families that have not been catered for via our home cooks.
Each week a lead cook is appointed within the group cook team who works with our Operations Manager to plan out the menu for the week. This is always based around our KiwiHarvest delivery of rescued food from local supermarkets.
The main dishes and meat for the week is delivered to the group cooks by another team of fabulous cooks who have made it offsite. Our group cook team then prepares the sides and desserts to go with it and they plate it all up, ready for delivery.
These meals are then delivered fresh to nominees by our Meal Delivery Team.
BAKERS
Baking is a special treat for our nominees that our Bakers lovingly create from their homes. Goodies are dropped to the Food For Team on a Thursday morning, to go out to nominees that afternoon with meals.
Our bakers also very kindly help with baking for our bake sales and other fundraising events.
MEAL DELIVERER
Our meal delivery volunteers pick up pre packaged meals from our Group Cooks on a Thursday afternoon and deliver these directly to our nominees right across the Upper Clutha.
They are the caring and friendly face of Food For Love that our nominees meet when receiving our lovely meals.
FUNDRAISERS
Our fundraisers are the ‘face of Food For Love” in our community, attending events, Bake Sales, selling raffle tickets, and assisting with our annual events such as the Crumble Fundraiser.
While we are fortunate to receive many generous donations of all kinds or services and expenses, fundraising is a big part of helping with the day to day operational costs for FFL.
GOVERNANCE
Board members use their leadership and wider community experience to guide strategy, ensure financial stability and mitigate risk for the Food For Love.
