A Passion for People and Purpose

We have a chat with Grace, our Warehouse Lead

If you were to come into Kairos Food Rescue’s warehouse on a weekday, you would see a hive of activity. Our drivers are in and out with deliveries. Morning and afternoon shifts of volunteers sort through rescued and donated food. A steady stream of food banks and other community groups come to pick up supplies according to a carefully orchestrated schedule.

At the centre of it all, you’ll find Grace, our Warehouse Lead, whose passion for people and purpose shapes every day on the floor.

From Hospitality to Food Rescue

Grace has a background in hospitality and studied in Education and Human Services, a combination that uniquely prepared her for the many facets of her current role, although perhaps she didn’t see it that way at the time. After applying for many roles and facing repeated rejection, she was beginning to feel discouraged. Then she saw the Warehouse Lead role advertised at Kairos.

“I applied and, much to my surprise, I was brought in for an interview and was hired,” she says. “Working at Kairos has been the change I was looking for. Being able to serve the community every day is a real privilege.”

A Heart for People, A Passion for Community

Grace was drawn to Kairos because of its collaborative approach to helping people in need. Working alongside other community groups and foodbanks, Kairos ensures rescued food reaches those who need it most, while treating them with both respect and compassion.

“I love coming to work knowing what I am doing has a positive impact on so many people's lives,” Grace shares. “I love hearing the stories from our volunteers and recipient groups about how the food we provide has changed the lives of people in and around Christchurch.”

Making a Difference, One Shift at a Time

What excites Grace most is knowing that the work done each day has a tangible impact across Ōtautahi Christchurch.

A typical day in the warehouse includes two volunteer shifts, morning and afternoon. Once signed in and geared up in hi-vis vests and closed-toe shoes, volunteers get to work sorting rescued and donated food from supermarkets and other suppliers. Bread, produce, frozen meats, and deli items are carefully checked and packed into quality food boxes before being distributed to local foodbanks and community groups.

Kairos’ new warehouse space in Waltham offers features like a covered truck loading bay, allowing trucks to be loaded and unloaded rain or shine, a commercial steriliser, dedicated clean sorting areas, and improved workflow systems that allow the team to rescue and redistribute food more effectively.

For volunteers, the experience has been transformed. Volunteers now enjoy a foyer area which includes a kitchen, lockers, couches, and tables, providing spaces to rest, connect, and feel valued.

“Our new space is cleaner and brighter than our previous warehouse,” Grace says. “I’m told by our awesome volunteers that it makes volunteering with us more enjoyable.”

More Than Food: Dignity, Relationship, and Trust

Grace is passionate about helping the community understand that Kairos exists to as best as possible offer a hand up, not a handout.

“We care deeply about the people we serve,” she explains. “We love to get to know the representatives of our recipient organisations and our volunteers in a way that is relational, not transactional.”

That same philosophy carries into the Community Hub, where anyone can come and get food, completely free of charge. Now operating weekly on Fridays, the Community Hub offers fresh and packaged items that would otherwise go to waste, all in an atmosphere of dignity and care.

While the food itself is donated, Grace feels that it is important for people to realise that operating Kairos is not free. Last year alone, operational costs exceeded $900,000. Funding this work requires grants, donations, and incredible behind-the-scenes effort, along with the invaluable contribution of volunteers.

In fact, volunteers donated the equivalent of $305,000 in labour last year, helping Kairos rescue over four tonnes of food every single day from going to landfill.

“Every little bit counts,” Grace says. “We simply couldn’t do this without our volunteers and supporters.”

Looking Ahead

Grace sees our new warehouse as full of opportunity. Every area is used with intention, and with more supermarkets coming on board, Kairos can rescue even more food and support more people through foodbanks and community outreach.

For Grace, it all comes back to people, those who give their time, those who donate, and those who receive.

“We’re here for the community,” she says. “And it’s a privilege to be part of something that truly makes a difference.”

Want to be part of Kairos’ story? Whether you volunteer, donate, or help spread the word, you’re helping Kairos Food Rescue turn surplus food into hope—every single day.