Produce for the mission
A social enterprise group is helping provide Auckland families in need with fresh produce.
Penrose based Ooooby, which stands for ‘out of our own backyards’, has been providing the Auckland City Mission with fresh, local produce since its inception in 2010.
The organisation delivers boxes of locally-grown, fresh produce to its customers on a weekly or fortnightly basis.
The company’s surplus produce is delivered to the Auckland City Mission who distribute it to families in desperate need.
‘‘We really look forward to having the Ooooby truck arrive each week, because it means we’re able to offer a variety of healthy, fresh fruit and veggies to people in crises,’’ Auckland City Missioner Chris Farrelly says.
He says low income families often struggle to access a wide variety of fresh produce, with the cost of a single capsicum often rivalling a serving of chips. On average, families visiting the Mission for emergency food have just over $3 per person, per day, to spend on food.
Ooooby operations manager Daphne Gehrels, says ‘‘we are stoked we can help reduce food waste and together with our customers help out Auckland families by our donations to City Mission every week’’.
The Mission distributed 13,714 food parcels in the year to June, its highest total ever.