Insurer nib New Zealand, which has a range of available support options for members experiencing financial difficulty or requiring assistance following the recent weather events, has gone beyond helping just policyholders via the insurance group’s non-profit arm.
Charity nib foundation, which was established by nib health insurance, is pouring funds into the biggest food rescue organisation in New Zealand as part of relief efforts in the country. Amounting to $20,000, nib foundation’s donation to KiwiHarvest will enable the latter to respond to the decrease in produce that it gets to offer through food hubs.
Lifting the lid on the move, nib foundation executive officer Amy Tribe (pictured) told Insurance Business: “nib foundation has been a proud partner of OzHarvest in Australia for over a decade now. We know just how important their work is within the community and so we wanted to extend this support to our New Zealand neighbours, where more than 283,000 of our members are based.
“KiwiHarvest’s work in the community of both reducing food waste and redistributing it to those who need it most is a fantastic initiative and aligns with our purpose of supporting peoples’ better health and wellbeing. It’s good for the environment and provides a sustainable solution to feeding those most vulnerable in the community.”
According to nib New Zealand, KiwiHarvest helps in tackling the country’s dual issues of food insecurity and food waste by redistributing excess food to people in vulnerable communities. With the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle resulting in loss of crops, however, there has been less produce to redistribute.
The foundation noted: “Our donation will enable KiwiHarvest to address this loss and purchase approximately 10,000 kgs of fresh produce, such as potatoes, carrots, onions, and kumara. This is approximately 57,142 servings of fresh produce going to New Zealanders in need, via the hardworking frontline food hubs.”
KiwiHarvest, meanwhile, is no stranger to nib foundation and nib New Zealand.
Tribe told Insurance Business: “We wanted to support an initiative that was providing on-the-ground support to communities most affected by the recent flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle. KiwiHarvest was doing just that, and it meant that our funding was providing immediate relief for the community.
“The $20,000 donation is in addition to the $10,000 in funding we provided to KiwiHarvest last year as part of nib [NZ]’s 10th anniversary People’s Choice Vote.”
Part of what KiwiHarvest has been doing in response to the recent floods is rescuing and cleaning contaminated food from supermarkets using the new NZ Food Safety protocol, as well as managing surplus stock across its five branches in New Zealand.
According to Tribe, part of nib foundation’s donation will go towards covering the additional operational and administrative costs that KiwiHarvest has incurred in the wake of the catastrophes.
Meanwhile nib New Zealand members who are in need of support are advised to contact the insurer on 0800 123 642 to discuss their options.
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