Food rescue charity On The House has completed a major infrastructure upgrade at its Bell Block hub.
The expansion includes a new fully electric refrigerated truck and a massive walk-in freezer, allowing the organisation to safely store and redistribute significantly more surplus food from supermarkets across Taranaki.
The cold chain equipment, which features a Hyundai Mighty electric truck, a 63 cubic metre freezer, and a new EV charger, means the charity can now handle greater volumes of perishable food.
With the upgrades finished, On The House began collecting surplus stock from additional supermarkets earlier this week on August 3.
On The House general manager Terry Hancock said the upgrade was the missing piece of the puzzle for the organisation.
"We've been operating at capacity for some time, which meant we didn't have the ability to rescue more food from supermarkets wanting to come on board," Hancock said.
He noted the project changes their situation entirely and ensures more quality food reaches people in the community instead of going to waste.
The charity, which started as a small garage pop-up in New Plymouth in 2017, distributed over 260,000 kilograms of surplus food in the past year.
The food reaches families and individuals through four Free Store locations across New Plymouth, Bell Block, and Stratford, alongside 13 foodbanks and more than 60 community groups.
Several local and national funders backed the cold chain project. Financial support came from Meridian Energy’s Community Decarbonisation Fund, the TOI Foundation, and the New Plymouth District Council Zero Waste Fund. Public donations from a February appeal and local sponsors, including a vehicle wrap from Attraction Signs, also helped get the electric truck on the road.
Hancock expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported the facility upgrade.
"It's a great example of what's possible when funders and community come together to tackle food waste and food insecurity at the same time," he said.
