FEEDING FAMILIES IN CRISIS

The Eat a Rainbow Foundation provides nourishing, readymade meal packages to Taranaki families who are going through a financial, housing or health crisis.

“Our mission is to be a ray of light to brighten up their day and help them face the challenge they’re going through,” said Zara Ryan, Chairperson.

The idea began during the 2020 Covid lockdown, when Taranaki chefs Momo Martin and Michelle Hartley began donating nourishing meals to support New Plymouth’s most vulnerable families. Since then, the foundation has grown to where this year they’re on track to deliver 6000 meals.

“We don’t donate directly to families, we work in partnership with charities like Gabby’s Starlit Hope and the Roderique Hope Trust because they know the people who are experiencing those tough challenges and would benefit most from our meals,” said Zara.

The foundation’s name comes from the idea of eating a rainbow of coloured fruit and vegetables every day.

“Some of our ingredients are kindly donated from places like On The House, Meat the Need, and Fonterra, while Theory Food let us use their commercial kitchen outside their catering hours. We employ one person to make and prepare meals which include options like Bangers and Mash, Beef Lasagna. Fish Pie and Mac and Cheese, with lots of veggies packed into them.”

The Eat a Rainbow Foundation receives cash donations from local Taranaki businesses, individuals and Theory Food, as well as the donated ingredients. This has allowed them to grow from providing 150 meals a month to 500, and to explore more charity partnerships.

“The challenge with receiving so many food donations is that we only had one chest freezer and a small corner area where we could store them.

“Toi Foundation funding of $20K has allowed us to buy a commercial walk-in freezer and shelving units to store all our donated food. Now we can make more meals and get them stored efficiently in the freezer, ready to go out to the charities in a more timely fashion.”